Unforgettable
by Illeana Starbright
Summary: Callie Colton sure as heck wasn't normal and hunting things that go bump in the night was only half the problem. The other problem was that she was super strong, super fast, her brain processed things far too quickly, and she just might be unkillable
1. Wendigo::01

_So, sorry for this being really out of date but I've just started watching Season One via Netflix and am way behind. Keeping that fact in mind any mistakes you notice or any constructive criticism would be great. I own nothing but Callie~Illeana_

* * *

"Haley? Haley-girl? Haley Collins open the door!" Callie Colton pounded on the door with a purposefully open hand. She was carefully controlling her strength in order to not knock the door in. Callie was five foot four with medium length blond hair and big green eyes with inky black pupils. Her rosebud pink lips were pursed and there was a furrow between her eyebrows. She didn't look out of the ordinary standing in front of the Collins' house at just before eight in the morning. In truth Callie was anything but ordinary.

Callison May Colton had been born on the first snowy day in November to Stacey Colton, a woman who could light her cigarettes with her index finger. They spent the next twelve years traveling from town to town until the car crash that killed Stacey Colton. Callie had spent the next eight years as a lab rat and this year, her first completely free, wandering from town to town doing her best to stay undercover. She had settled in this small town in the Colorado wilderness six months ago and promptly befriended Haley Collins.

Three months after she moved in to her new home there was a car crash. Haley had been trapped in the wreckage and her two brothers, Tommy and Ben, had been frantic with terror and desperation. The police had been forced to hold the two boys back while the firefighters struggled to make an escape route for Haley. That weren't going to manage it. Callie had known that after only two minutes of watching. Without a word to anyone she had strode around the car and simply ripped the passenger door open, snapping the seatbelt and helping Haley to safety. The car had burst into flames only moments later. The police thought that the immense strength it had taken to savagely rip the car door open was the kind of strength that mothers had when they lifted entire cars off their children. Callie was content to let them believe that fantasy but she told Haley the truth.

Callie Colton had always been an extraordinary girl. When she had been taken in by the lab the lab techs had given her genetic modification another name. They had called her a super soldier. Callie was faster than the average human and stronger too. Her subconscious processed things at a quicker rate than an ordinary person, quicken her reaction time and sometimes leaving her in trees after a morning run with no idea how she had gotten in to them.

Haley Collins answered the door looking like an odd mixture of relieved and worried. "It's Tommy," she blurted out before Callie could ask what had gone wrong. "He promised to call first thing in the morning yesterday but he never did. I talked to the park ranger but he told me Tommy had filled a form saying he'd be gone for a week and therefore couldn't be classified as a missing person."

"Where did he go camping?" The question was out of Callie's mouth before she could stop it.

"Blackwater Ridge," Haley answered almost automatically.

"I'll go up and look around," Callie said after a moment of thought. "I'll only be gone overnight and I'll call you when I find something. If I'm missing for longer than that go to the ranger station. They'll be forced to send out a search party then."

"Thank you," Haley gushed, sounding almost near tears.

"Hey don't get all mushy on me," Callie said teasingly. "I'm just doing my job."

"Which is?" Haley questioned with a hint of her familiar quirky grin.

"Keeping you as happy and unstressed as possible," Callie replied, beaming. Then she stepped forward and hugged Haley tight. "Seriously Hales I'm sure he's fine. He probably just killed his phone by accident or something. I'll call you in the morning at the latest." Haley hugged Callie back tight.

"Be safe," she ordered before releasing Callie and waving as her friend walked away. Callie didn't have a car but being the way she was she got around fairly easily. She already had a backpack for hiking, she had originally been planning on asking Haley and Ben to go on a day trip with her, so she didn't pause at the rented trailer she currently called home. She did stop at the ranger station to pick up a trail map though.

The hike up to Blackwater Ridge wasn't incredibly hard but it winded even Callie. Thick grasses swooshed around her and birds chirped happily all the way to the ridge. Then, as if compelled by some sort of magic, everything suddenly fell silent. Callie had a sinking feeling in her stomach as she headed a little ways off the beaten trail to where she hoped Tommy and his friends would be camping.

The campsite was a mess. Bloody scratches in the ten wall looked like bears. The collapsed tent and the lack of bodies and/or body parts said something else. Oh my God. Callie walked to the nearest tree, touching the edge of a bloody claw mark with her pinky finger. Was it still here? She pulled her pocket knife out of her jacket, the knife she carried around just in case, and pulled out the blade. The first letter was four diagonal lines of varying lengths. The second was four straight, on horizontal and three vertical. The next was only three lines, one horizontal and two vertical. She had started on the next when she heard a rumble behind her. Her fingers clutched the knife tighter as she forced herself to continue but she was too late. Claws sank into her jacket and pulled her up and away, the knife falling from numb fingers. Miles away, still blissfully ignorant, the Winchester brothers were driving toward the local ranger station.


	2. Wendigo::02

_So thanks to _Jupplyr_ for reviewing and alerting and to _vmarslovahhh18 _for adding this to story alert. Here's the next chapter, not quite as long as the first, and hopefully I won't mess anything up too badly. I own nothing but Callie_

* * *

"So Blackwater Ridge is pretty remote," Sam said, glancing at the topographical map in front of him as Dean surveyed the office. "It's cut off by these canyons here, rough terrain, dense forest, abandoned silver and gold mines all over the place."

"Dude check out the size of this freaking bear," Dean said studying one of the pictures on the wall. Sam resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he walked over to join his brother.

"And a dozen or more grizzlies in the area. It's no nature hike, that's for sure," he finished.

"You boys aren't planning on going out near Blackwater Ridge by any chance." The brothers spun around to find themselves faced with a man probably in his forties in a ranger uniform.

"On no sir," Sam lied quickly. "We're environmental study majors from UC Boulder, just working on a paper."

"Recycle man," Dean added with a cheesy grin and a fist pump.

The ranger studied him for a moment before flatly saying, "Bull. You're friends with that Haley girl aren't you?"

Sam was seconds from saying they had no idea what Haley he was talking about when Dean cut in. "Yes, yes we are Ranger-" Dean paused and glanced at the ranger's name tag before finishing. "Wilkinson." Sam felt a severe headache coming on. Why in the world did Dean have to but in every time there was even a chance of seeing a pretty girl?

"Well I'll tell you exactly what I told her," the ranger said crossly, glaring at Sam and Dean. "Her brother filled out a backcountry permit saying he wouldn't be back from Blackwater until the twenty-fourth and her friend can't tell time to save her life. Neither one of them are exactly missing persons now are they?"

"No sir," Sam cut in but inwardly he was fuming. Even if someone couldn't tell time if they were gone longer than they were supposed to they should be considered a missing person, not someone who was simply late.

"You tell that girl to quit worrying," Ranger Wilkinson said in a slightly more sympathetic tone. "I'm sure her brother's just fine. And her friend too of course."

"We will," Dean reassured the man. The ranger turned to leave when Dean spoke up again, as if her were a friend being sympathetic to a poor overworked man. "Well that Haley girl's quite a pistol huh?"

"That," Ranger Wilkinson said sharply. "Is putting it mildly."

"Actually it would help if you gave us a copy of her brother's permit so we can show her when he said he'd be back. And her friend's too," Dean said just as the man had turned to leave again. The ranger glared at Dean who simply grinned back. Finally the man sighed.

"Callie didn't fill out a permit but she was supposed to be back yesterday. I'll get you a copy of Tommy's." They exited five minutes later, Dean holding a copy of Tommy Collins' backcountry permit.

"What," Sam asked sharply as soon as they were out of the station. "Cruising around for a hookup or something?"

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, sounding genuinely confused.

"We have to coordinates. We know where Dad is so what are we waiting for? Why even talk to this girl?"

"I don't know," Dean shot back sharply. "I just thought maybe we should now what we're walking into before we walk into it."

"What?" Sam asked incredulously. Who was this and what had it done with his jump the gun brother?

"Since when are you all shoot first and ask questions later anyway?"

"Since now," Sam retorted, still slightly shocked.

"Really?" Dean asked. "You mean to tell me that it doesn't bother you in the least that at least one person is missing in the place where Dad is supposed to be and the ranger station doesn't even care."

"Fine," Sam sighed. "We check it out. But if it turns out to be nothing I'm blaming you."

Under Callie's watchful eyes the shadows seemed to boil. A figure, stooped but still taller than her, made its way toward one of the boys hanging from the ceiling. Tommy let out a little moan of panic and Callie rapidly shushed him, not wanting Haley's brother to become the monster's new supper.

The first crunch was followed by a scream; the kind of scream a person can only make when their life is in grave danger. It made Callie's brain freeze and her blood rush in her ears with a whooshing sound before it turned to ice. The screaming when on and on and now Tommy was moaning over and over again, probably not even aware he was doing so. The sound of the feeding frenzy to Callie's left covered up the sound of Tommy's moans and the young man lost conscious long before the screaming faded to whimpers and then vanished completely. Callie was left hanging in the dark, retching at the stink of blood and already rotting flesh and wondering if she'd ever get out of this hell hole alive.


	3. Wendigo::03

The Collins house was a modest sized building and when Dean knocked a woman with brown curls, a mixture of loose and a little frizzy, answered the door. "You must be Haley Collins," Dean said immediately. "I'm Dean and this is Sam. We're-ah-we're rangers with the Park Service. Ranger Wilkinson sent us over to ask some questions about Tommy and Callie."

"Let me see some ID," Haley said after a moment of hesitation and Dean held a forged badge up for her inspection. "Come on in," she said with a sigh. They followed her into a dining room where a younger boy sat on a computer.

"So if Tommy's not due back for a while how do you know something's wrong?" Sam asked as Haley walked into the kitchen and came back with a bowl in hand, placing it on the table.

"He checks in every day by cell," Haley said in a matter of fact tone. "He emails; photos, stupid little videos. We haven't heard anything in over three days now."

"Well maybe he can't get cell reception?" Sam suggested.

"He's got a satellite phone too," Haley said, her tone turning almost sharp.

"Could it be he's just having fun and forgot to check in?" Dean suggested and got a sharper, more deadly look than Sam had.

"He wouldn't do that," the boy said, glancing up from his computer for a moment before looking away.

"Our parents are gone. It's just my brothers and me," Haley cut in, putting another dish on the table. "We keep pretty close tabs on each other. And Callie wouldn't just disappear. I know Ranger Wilkinson likes to claim that Callie can't tell time to save her life, and Lord knows it's true, but she promised to call and she hasn't for two days now. That's not like her."

"Can I see the pictures Tommy sent you?" Sam asked after a slightly awkward pause.

"Yeah," Haley replied, motioning for her brother to hand over the laptop. It took her a minute to pull up the correct pictures. She paused at one of a young man with the same colored hair as Haley's and a wide grin. "That's Tommy," she said, clicking through another couple pictures. Finally she came to a video and double clicked to open it up.

"Hey Haley," Tommy's voice said over the speakers and he looked into his phone camera. "It's day six and we're still out near Blackwater Ridge. We're fine, keeping safe, so don't worry okay? Talk you tomorrow." Then the video ended. Sam stared at the screen, willing the flash of darkness he'd seen to come back. Now he was definitely intrigued.

"Well we'll find your brother," Dean promised. "We're heading out to Blackwater Ridge first thing in the morning."

"Then maybe I'll see you there," Haley said. "Look, I can't sit around her anymore. So I hired a guide. I'm heading out in the morning and I'm gonna find Tommy myself."

"I think I know how you feel," Dean said, not realizing his younger brother was still staring at the computer.

"Hey do you mind forwarding me these?" Sam asked and Haley looked slightly surprised.

"Sure," she said blankly and, after sending Sam the pictures and video, she ushered them out of the house.

They took shelter in a crowded bar that night, filled with noise and smoke and tinny music. Luckily it had free internet and Sam's laptop had a full charge. "So Blackwater Ridge doesn't get a lot of traffic," Sam began, pulling a few newspaper articles close to him. "Local campers mostly. But still, this last April, two hikers went missing out there. They were never found."

"Any before that?" Dean asked, sitting down next to his brother.

"Yeah," Sam said, pulling out the relevant article. "In 1982 eight different people all vanished in the same year. Authorities claimed it was a grizzly attack. And again in 1959 and before that in 1923. Every twenty years just like clockwork." He paused in midspeech and pulled up Tommy's video on his computer screen. "Here's a clincher. I downloaded Tommy's video to the laptop. Check this out." He slowly tapped through five of the frames and Dean stared at the shadow on the back of the tent wall.

"Do it again," Dean demanded and Sam didn't protest the order.

"That's three frames," Sam said unnecessarily. "That's a fraction of a second. Whatever that thing is it can really move."

"Told you something weird was going on," Dean said as Sam shut down the laptop.

"Yeah," Sam said without protest. "I've got one more thing. In fifty-nine one camper survived this supposed grizzly attack. Just a kid. He barely crawled out of the woods alive."

Callie's head pounded, her legs ached, and her arms were numb. Her throat was completely dry and a low moan escaped her. The monster was back. It was headed for Tommy. Callie held in a groan as she lifted herself up and then jerked down...once...twice...three times... then a fourth. _Snap_! Callie crashed to the ground with a groan. The creature spun. Callie stumbled to her feet, trying to rub feeling into her legs. Then she let out a massive war whoop that echoed in the cavern, spun around, and ran.

Her legs throbbed as she ran and her breath rasped in her lungs. "Come on you ugly as sin thing," she hollered and could hear the monster gaining on her. She pushed herself faster, chest aching and lungs burning. She skidded around the corner just in time for everything to go black.


	4. Wendigo::04

Shaw's home was small, cramped. He was sitting in an ancient chair and smoking a cigarette in almost complete darkness. "Look ranger," he said gruffly. "I don't know why you're asking me about this. It's public record. I was a kid. My parents got mauled by a-"

"Grizzly bear," Sam interrupted almost sharply. "That's what attacked them?"

"The other people that went missing that year? Bear attacks too?" Dean added. Shaw took a nervous drag on his cigarette. "If we knew what we were dealing with we might be able to stop it."

"I seriously doubt that," Shaw said sharply. "Anyways I don't see what difference it would make. You wouldn't believe me. Nobody ever did."

"Mr. Shaw," Sam said, sitting across from the elderly man in the chair. "What did you see?"

"Nothing," Mr. Shaw said tiredly. "It moved too fast and hid too well. I heard it though. A roar. Like no man or animal I had ever heard."

"It came at night?" Shaw nodded. "Got inside your tent?"

"It got inside our cabin," Shaw corrected. "I was sleeping in front of the fireplace when it came in. It didn't smash a window or break the door; it unlocked it. Do you know of a bear that could do something like that? I didn't even wake up till I could hear my parents screaming."

"It killed them?" Sam asked softly.

"Dragged 'em off into the night." Shaw shook his head and took another drag off his cigarette. "Why it left me alive; I've been asking myself that ever since." He paused and pulled his collar back to reveal three long scars. "Did leave me this though. There's something evil in that woods. It was some sort of a demon." Sam and Dean didn't say anything. What could you say to that? Finally they just thanked Shaw for the information and headed back to the car to find a hotel room for the night.

"Spirits and demons don't have to unlock doors," Dean said as they headed back toward their car before going to their hotel room for the night. "If they want inside they just go through the walls."

"Then it has to be something corporal," Sam finished, his mind spinning with possibilities.

"Corporal?" Dean asked with a snort. "Excuse me professor."

"Shut up," Sam said, rolling his eyes. "So what do you think?"

"The claws? The speed that it moves? Could be a skinwalker or maybe a black dog," Dean said with a shrug, opening up the trunk of the Impala. "Whatever it is we're talking about a creature that's corporal and that means we can kill it."

"There's one more thing you should know," Sam said, placing a hand on the top of the unlocked trunk to prevent Dean from opening it. "I checked out Callie Colton, just to see who she was. She appears on one newspaper article a few months ago saving Haley from a car crash. Other than that it's like she doesn't exist."

"And your point is?" Dean asked. Sam just sighed and stepped away from the trunk. Dean grabbed a few guns, shoving them into a dark colored dufflebag.

"You know we can't let that Haley girl go out there, right?" Sam pointed out after a moment.

"Oh yeah?" Dean challenged. "What are we going to tell her? That she can't go into the woods because of a big scary monster?"

"Yeah," Sam said, fighting to keep from flushing with embarrassment. Sometimes his brother could be such a jerk.

"Her brother's missing Sam," Dean said calmly. "She's not just gonna sit this out. Now we go with her, we protect her, and we keep our eyes peeled for our fuzzy friend."

"So saving Dad isn't enough anymore," Sam snapped. "Now we have to play babysitter too." Dean stared at Sam as his younger brother slammed the trunk closed. Where had that come from? "What?" Sam snapped after a minute.

"Nothing," Dean replied, taking the safe route and tossing his brother the bag before heading back to the hotel room for the night.

* * *

_Thanks to Krista who reviewed chapter two (you must have reviewed at the same time I was posting chapter three)! I own nothing but Callie.  
_


	5. Wendigo::05

The night morning dawned bright and sunny. Sam and Dean pulled up to the trailhead just as Haley, her younger brother, and their guide were getting ready to leave. "You guys got room for two more?" Dean called.

"Wait," Haley said, looking almost shocked. "You want to come with us?"

"Who are these guys?" the guide added.

"Apparently these two were all the park service could spare," Haley muttered in a dry tone.

"You're rangers?" the guide asked incredulously.

"Yup," Dean said cheerfully as Sam pushed past everyone else and headed for the trail.

"And you're hiking in biker boots and jeans?" Haley asked, raising and eyebrow.

"Well sweetheart," Dean replied easily. "I don't do shorts."

"What? You think this is funny?" the guide snarled. "Her brother could be injured."

Dean saw Sam pause and turn back, expression dark. He figured he'd better say something before Sam opened his mouth and said exactly what he thought. "Believe me, I know just how dangerous this can get. We just want to help her find her brother, that's all." Then he turned and walked past Sam, patting his brother once on the shoulder.

Callie moaned as she opened her eyes. She was hanging just out of sight of Tommy now, tied with more vines. There was almost no blood flow to her hands. Blood poured down her side where four long gashes scraped across her ribs. She figured that her hair was probably matted with blood from where the creature had hit her on the head to knock her out. She twisted her body back and forth, rocking until the vine began to swing so she could get a glimpse of Tommy. He was still alive and mostly uninjured but he was definitely blacked out. Callie had a feeling he wouldn't wake up for a long time, if ever. This was bad.

She stared at the skulls on the floor feeling dizzy. She had been in bad situations before but never like this. When she had been eight and a couple zombies had showed up Stacey had burned them alive but not before one of them had bit Callie, hissing green poison making her feel sick and ordinary. That was how she felt now. It wasn't a good feeling.

"Roy you said you did a little hunting," Dean began after a moment to break the oppressive silence.

"Yeah," Roy replied shortly and then seemed to be unable to stop himself from adding. "More than a little."

"Uh-huh," Dean said and Sam could tell his brother was trying hard not to roll his eyes. "What kind of furry creatures do you hunt?"

"Mostly buck but sometimes bear," Roy said gruffly.

"Tell me," Dean began hesitantly, as if unsure how to best phrase the question. "Bambi or Yogi ever hunt you back?" Roy grabbed Dean's arm and stopped him in his tracks. "What'cha doing Roy?" Dean asked amiably, looking just a little bit mystified. Roy sighed heavily and stabbed a stick gruffly into a half hidden bear trap as if he would have liked to do the same to Dean's head.

"You should watch where you're stepping, _ranger_," Roy said mockingly.

"It's a bear trap," Dean grumbled, rolling his eyes. Sam resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his older brother's back, pausing to glare meaningfully at Dean when he caught up with his brother. Luckily for Dean Haley caught up just at that moment and also stopped to glare at Dean. He signaled to his younger brother to go on ahead and Sam reluctantly obeyed.

"You didn't pack any provisions," Haley began sharply. "You guys are carrying a duffle bag," she added as if that alone was one of the seven deadly sins. "You're not rangers. So who the hell are you?"

"Sam and I are brothers," Dean explained, deciding to jump in with both feet. "We're looking for our father. He might be here but we don't know. I just figured that you and me, we're in the same boat."

"Why didn't you just tell me that from the start?" Haley snapped.

"I'm telling you now aren't I?" Dean retorted. "Besides it's probably the most honest I've been with a woman, _ever_. So we okay?"

"Fine," Haley relented reluctantly. "Okay."

"And what do you mean I didn't pack provisions?" he added with his typical smile, pulling out a bag of peanut M&Ms before walking off ahead of Haley. The woman let out an exasperated sigh, staring up at the heavens a moment before trailing after him.


	6. Wendigo::06

"This is it," Roy announced suddenly. "Blackwater Ridge."

"What coordinates are we at?" Sam asked as he walked past Roy.

"Thirty-five and minus one-eleven," Roy said after quickly checking his GPS.

Dean joined his brother, whispering in his ear, "You hear that?"

"Yeah," Sam replied in an equally soft voice. "Not even crickets."

"I'm gonna go look around," Roy announced heading off the path and into the woods.

"You shouldn't go off by yourself," Sam blurted out, exchanging an exasperated look with his older brother. How stupid could someone get?

"That's sweet," Roy mocked over his shoulder before continuing on. "Don't worry about me."

"All right," Dean said, exasperated. "Everybody stays together. Let's go." They followed Roy through the underbrush, mindful of anything possibly dangerous.

They didn't see anything until Roy yelled, "Haley! Over here!" Haley ran toward the guide's voice, followed closely by the others. What they saw when they arrived was a nightmare.

"Oh my God," Haley gasped out in shock. Tents were shredded and over turned, bloody claw marks and blood stains were everywhere, and supplies were scattered.

"Looks like a grizzly," Roy said with a knowledgeable look that made Sam want to punch him. The group spread out and looked around, Haley searching for any sign of her friends.

"Tommy?" she moaned under her breath, suddenly frantically digging through the wreckage. "Tommy!"

"Shh," Sam hissed but Haley ignored him, continuing to call her missing brother's name. "Shh!" Sam insisted.

"Why?" Haley asked, moving on through the camp with frantic speed.

"Something might still be out there," Sam explained and Haley nodded, calming herself.

"Sam," Dean called softly and Sam headed over to his older brother. "The bodies were dragged out of the campsite," Dean said softly, crouching near the tracks. "But here the tracks just vanish. It's weird." Sam nodded in agreement and they both stood. "I'll tell you what," Dean continued softly. "That's no skinwalker or black dog." Haley suddenly let out a cry, picking up a shattered and bloody cell phone. "Hey, he could still be alive," Dean called, trying to reassure her.

She suddenly stumbled to her feet, staring in open-mouthed shock at the tree before. "Callie? What the heck?" she asked suddenly in a wavery voice. The others joined her and saw three letters carved into the tree in all capitals; WEN.

"Help! Help!" a voice suddenly yelled from farther into the woods. Roy took after the voice and the others followed after him. "Help! Someone help me!" Then it abruptly silenced. The woods was as quiet as it had began. They skidded to a halt.

"It seemed like it was coming from around here didn't it?" Haley asked, sounding confused.

"Everybody back to camp," Sam said, what Haley's friend had been trying to tell them dawning on him like a message from above. They turned and ran back to the campsite only to find their supplies were all gone.

"Our packs!" Haley cried.

"So much for my GPS and satellite phone," Roy muttered.

"What the hell is going on here?" Haley asked, sounding exasperated.

"It's smart," Sam said slowly, as if he didn't want to finish his thought. "It wants to cut us off so we can't call for help." Then he turned to Dean and added, "I need to speak to you, in private." Dean nodded and led him a little ways into the woods. "Do you have Dad's journal?" Dean nodded and silently handed it over. Sam quickly flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for. "Okay. Check this out."

"Oh come on," Dean said, sounding annoyed. "Wendigos are in the Minnesota woods or in northern Michigan. I've never heard of one this far west."

"Think about it Dean," Sam prodded. "The claws, the way it can mimic a human voice, and the word Haley's friend was trying to carve into the tree when she was taken."

"Great," Dean said sarcastically, pulling out a pistol. "Well then this is useless. The only question is how did her friend know what it even was and have time to carve even part of a word?"

"Who knows," Sam replied with a shrug. "We'll ask her when we find her if she's even still alive but for now our first priority is getting these people to safety." He handed Dean back the journal and headed for the camp with his older brother right on his heels.

"All right," Sam announced. "Listen up. It's time to go. Things have gotten more complicated."

"What?" Haley cried, looking a mixture of annoyed and fearful.

"Kid don't worry," Roy cut in. "Whatever's out there, I think I can handle it?"

"It's not me I'm worried about," Sam retorted. "If you shoot this thing you're just going to make it angry. We have to leave _now_."

"One, you're talking nonsense and two you're in no position to give anyone orders," Roy snapped.

"Relax," Dean tried but both men ignored him.

"We never should have let you come out here in the first place, all right," Sam hissed. "I'm trying to protect you."

Roy stepped up into Sam's personal space snapped, "You protect me? I was hunting in these woods while your mommy was still kissing you good night."

"Yeah?" Sam challenged. "It's a damn near perfect hunter. It's smarter than you and it's going to hunt you down and eat you alive if you don't get out of here."

"You're just crazy, you know that," Roy said with a laugh.

"Yeah," Sam snarled again. "You ever hunt a wen-" Dean suddenly pushed him hard to shut him up.

"Chill out," he ordered.

"Stop it and pay attention," Haley ordered. "Tommy and Callie may be still alive. If there's any chance of ever rescuing them then I am not leaving."

There was a long pause before Dean sighed and said, "It's getting late and this thing is an unbelievable hunter during the night. We won't ever beat it in the dark. We need to settle in and protect ourselves."

Then Haley asked "How?" and that was the end of the argument.

Callie's head ached. She thought she had probably passed out for a bit and her arms had gone numb. Despite the headache and numbing muscles she felt surprisingly better. Her brain was functioning more clearly and racing to come up with some kind of plan that could save Tommy and herself. Unfortunately she didn't have very many options. She could free herself and Tommy but the Wendigo would catch them before they escaped. Furthermore it would be difficult to snap the vines this time. The creature may have been twisted beyond disbelief but it wasn't stupid. Life would be much easier if it was.


	7. Wendigo::07

"For the last time that's-" Haley began, sounding exasperated.

"Anasazi symbols," Dean cut in. "It's for protection. The wendigo can't cross over them." Roy laughed, shaking his head and slinging his gun over his shoulder as the fire crackled and sent shadows dancing around the clearing. "Nobody likes a skeptic Roy," Sam's older brother added. He turned his head to see that Sam was sitting alone towards the edge of the camp. He finished the symbols and walked silently over to join Sam. It bothered him that his brother had suddenly become so much like he was normally, except more aggravated. "You want to tell me what's going on in that freaky head of yours?" he asked as he sat down next to his brother.

"Dean-" Sam began, sounding exasperated.

"No you're not fine," Dean interrupted, knowing what his brother was going to say before he said it. "You're like a powde rkeg man. It's not like you. I'm supposed to be the belligerent one, remember?"

"Dad's not here," Sam said after a heavy pause. "I mean we know that much for sure, right? He would have left us a message or some kind of sign wouldn't he?"

"Yeah you're probably right," Dean said, admitting what he had already guessed. "To tell you the truth I don't think Dad's ever been here."

"Then let's get these people back to town and hit the road, go find Dad. I mean why are we even here?" Sam asked, sounding exasperated.

Dean sighed and shifted so he was crouching in front of his brother. "This is why," he said, holding out their father's journal. "This book. This is Dad's single most important possession. Everything he knows about anything evil is in here and he's passed it on to us. I think he wants us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people and hunting things. The family business."

"That doesn't make any sense," Sam retorted, shaking his head in denial. "Why doesn't he just call us? Why doesn't he tell us where he's at and what he wants us to do?"

"I don't know," Dean replied with a shrug. "But the way I see it Dad's given us a job to do and I intend to do it."

"Dean," Sam sighed and shook his head again, looking down. "No. I have to find Dad and hunt down Jess's killer. It's the only thing I can think about."

"Okay," Dean said easily. "All right, Sam. We'll find them, I promise. Listen to me. You've gotta prepare yourself. I mean, this search could take a while, and all that anger; you can't keep it burning over the long haul. It'll kill you. You've got to have patience man."

Sam looked up then, his eyes dark and tired. "How do you do it? How does Dad do it?"

Dean glanced over his shoulder at Haley and Ben, then back at his brother. "For one thing them," he replied. "I mean, I figure our family's screwed to hell so maybe we can help some others. It makes things a little more bearable. And I'll tell you what else helps." This time he looked his younger brother square in the eyes with the barest hint of a grin. "Killing as many evil sons of bitches I can." Sam grinned then and Dean was relieved at the return to semi-normalcy.

That was when there was a rustle a a voice wailed, "Help! Help me!" Dean stood and checked his gun as it called for help again. Sam shone the flashlight around the edge of the circle, searching for the creature.

"He's trying to draw us out," Dean said calmly, stating the obvious. "Just stay cool and stay inside the circle."

"Inside the magic circle," Roy tried to mock but he didn't sound as confidant as he had before.

"Help! Please help me!" the wendigo called again and then a dark growl rumbled through the dark toward them. Roy aimed his gun at the sound.

"Okay that's no grizzly bear," the hunter admitted almost nervously.

"It's okay," Haley was whispering to Ben. "It'll be alright. I promise." Then a dark shadow flew around one edge of the circle and she screamed.

"It's here," Sam announced unnecessarily and Dean held back the urge to laugh. Now wouldn't be a good time to start snickering about his younger brother's obvious statements. Roy shot at the rustling once, and then again. There was a muted roar that followed the second shot closely.

"I got it," Roy yelled and took off into the woods.

"Roy no!" Dean yelled. "Roy!" Haley snatched a stick off the fire, holding it in one hand while she wrapped the other arm around Ben's shoulders. "Stay here," Dean ordered and took off into the woods with Sam on his heels.

"It's over here," a voice called. "It's in a tree." Dean and Sam reached Roy just as something yanked him up into a tree.

"Roy!" Dean yelled again but there was no answer, no sign of Roy or the wendigo when Sam searched around, and the forest was once again empty.

The next morning came far too slowly. Haley was still trying to work her mind over everything that had happened. "I don't-" she began and then shook her head, starting over. "I mean these kind of things aren't supposed to exist."

"I wish I could tell you different," Dean replied easily, glancing over at his younger brother who was sitting with John's journal in his hands. Sam was considering something, Dean could tell from the look on his face.

"How do we know it's not out there watching us?" Haley asked.

"We don't," Dean replied with a shrug. "We're safe for now though."

"How do you know about this stuff?" Haley asked. "And how does Callie?"

Dean paused then, considering how to answer that question. "I don't know about you're friend but for Sam and I it kind of runs in the family."

"You probably don't want to know how Callie's knows all this," Ben added, glancing up at his sister. "After all you didn't really like her answers after the car accident."

"True," Haley replied with a sigh. Dean wondered what that was all about. Obviously they knew something about Callie but what? Sam stood up just as he was about to ask for clarification and joined them.

"Hey," he said almost awkwardly and Haley glanced over at him. "We've got half a chance in daylight and I for one want to kill that evil son of a bitch."

Dean wisely didn't mention that his younger brother was parroting his words from the night before, simply saying, "Well you know I'm in."

Sam opened their father's journal, searching for the entry about wendigos. "Wendigo is a Cree Indian word," he explained to Haley and Ben. "It means evil that devours." Dean held back a smile as he listened. This Sam was sounding a lot more like the little brother he knew.

"They're hundreds of years old," Dean cut in just to annoy his brother. "Each one was once a man. Sometimes an Indian or other times a Frontiersman or miner or hunter."

"How's a man turn into one of those things?" Haley asked and Sam motioned for Dean to field that question.

"Well it's always the same," Dean answered, shooting Sam a dirty look when the others weren't paying attention. Sam simply smirked back at him. "During some harsh winter a guy finds himself starving and cut off from supplies or help. He becomes a cannibal to survive, eating other members of his tribe or camp."

"Like the Donner Party," Ben cut in and Sam nodded an affirmative.

"Cultures all over the world believe that eating human flesh gives a person certain abilities," Sam said, taking over the explanation. "Speed, strength, immortality."

"If you eat enough of it over the years you become this less than human thing that's always hungry," Dean finished for his brother.

"So if that's true how can Tommy and Callie still be alive?" Haley asked.

"You're not gonna like it," Dean informed her and it was the God's honest truth.

"Tell me," Haley insisted and Dean saw that from the look on Sam's face it was his job to explain this.

"More than anything a wendigo knows how to survive long winters without food," Dean began. "It hibernates for years at a time but when it's awake it keeps its victims alive. It, um, it stores them so it can feed whenever it wants. If your brother's alive, it's keeping him somewhere that's dark, safe, and hidden."

"And how do we stop it?" Haley demanded, still wanting answers no matter the cost.

"Well guns are useless and so are knives so basically," he held up a rag, lighter, and bottle of gasoline that he had brought along. "We've got to torch the sucker."

* * *

_Only one more chapter and then I'm finished with Wendigo (thankfully!). Thanks for all the story alerts and reviews would be great to let me know what you guys things or if you spot any mistakes!  
_


	8. Wendigo::08

Callie must have drifted off to sleep because when she woke up she had some new company. Haley was hanging from the ceiling with someone she didn't recognize from town. Both were unconscious. "Great," Callie muttered, working at the vines tying her to the ceiling with numb fingers. After a few minutes she gave up, unable to even feel the vines anymore. Her body was finally giving up on her. "Haley," she called harshly to her friend. "Wake up Haley-girl!" It was no use, Haley just hung there. They were dead.

Callie clung to her sanity by thin threads on the bad days and this could definitely be classified as a bad day. Her mind was pulling her into shattered waking dreams, dredging up her mother, her younger sister Juliet, and Haley's car accident. Mixed screams and yells bounced around in her brain until something snapped and she hit the ground hard.

Her mind pulled her back to the present just as she heard Ben yell," Haley wake up!" She blinked and forced herself to focus, pushing everything else to the back burner for a time.

She heard another voice cry, "Dean!" She ignored that one and helped Ben cut down Haley with her switchblade.

"Ben," Haley mumbled and then her eyes opened wider as she woke up completely. "Callie!" Callie stumbled back as her friend all but tackle-hugged her.

"Yeah Haley-girl," she replied, rubbing her friend's back. "I'm here and fine. So is Tommy."

"Tommy," Haley whispered, whirling around to be confronted with her unconscious brother. "Tommy!" Tommy's head jerked and Haley stumbled back with a little startled cry. "Cut him down," she ordered but Callie was already working on it, supporting Tommy with he fell limply towards the ground.

"Who are they?" Callie asked softly as Haley crooned softly to her younger brother.

"They are Sam and Dean Winchester," Haley replied. "They're here looking for their father and they decided to help Ben and I find you and Tommy." Callie raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything else as Haley and Ben took her place holding up Tommy. Honestly that was a good thing. She was so tired she wasn't sure she could hold Tommy up much longer. She needed some food and some actual genuine sleep.

"Hey check this out," the shorter of the two men called suddenly, lifting something up.

"Flare guns," the taller replied with the barest hint of a grin. "That'll work." The shorter laughed and tossed one to the taller, twirling his own between his fingers. That was when a low menacing growl echoed down the cave.

"Looks like someone's home," Callie muttered darkly. "And hungry."

"We'll never outrun it," Haley said fearfully, glancing between Callie and the Winchester brothers with nervous eyes.

"Don't worry Haley-girl," Callie replied calmly. "I promise I'll get you and your brothers out of here even if it costs me my life. Trust me on that."

"You thinking what I'm thinking," the shorter one said suddenly, turning to the taller.

"Yeah I think so," came the even reply.

"All right, listen to me," the shorter one ordered, his eyes serious. "Stay with Sam. He's gonna get you out of here."

"What are you going to do?" Haley asked the shorter one, presumably Dean. He simply winked and headed off down another tunnel.

"Chow time you freaky bastard!" he yelled as he moved. "Yeah that's right, bring it on because I'm feeling _good_."

"Moron," Callie muttered under her breath. "This thing is smart. It isn't going to fall for that."

"All right," Sam said at the same moment, drowning out Callie's complaint. "Come on. Hurry!" They made their way through the tunnel as fast as they could but Callie couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. There was another menacing growl Sam lifted the gun and said, "Get out of here."

"Sam, no," Haley protested.

"Go, go, _go!_" he ordered, exasperated.

"Come on Haley," Callie and Ben ordered at the exact same time, Ben pleading and Callie snapping.

They hadn't made it very far when Haley called, "Sam!"

"Come on, hurry!" he ordered and Callie knew in that instant he had missed. "Get behind me," he said as they slipped into a dead end side tunnel.

"Remember what I promised you," Callie said.

"Callie don't," Haley began to protest but Callie was already moving. She slipped by Sam, hit a higher rock, and launched herself in the air. She caught a vine twisted up near the ceiling and literally kicked the wendigo in the face, twisting her body so when it slashed back it her it only nicked the side of her leg. She released the vine and flew through the air to plummet to the ground below. She landed awkwardly on the ground, barely managing to keep her balance before she rose into a crouch.

"Run," she ordered without looking back.

"Callie-" Haley began to protest again.

"Haley if there ever was a time you listened to me now would be it," Callie said sharply. "I won't be able to distract this thing for long." The wendigo would go for the kill today. It's home had been invaded and it was angry. Add that to the fact that she had kicked it square in the face and she was in trouble. It grumbled low and shifted so it was fully focused on her.

That was when another voice yelled, "Hey!" The wendigo spun, startled, just in time to get hit in the stomach with a flare. It howled as fire raced across it's body and it crumpled to the ground in ashes. "Not bad, eh?" Dean Winchester questioned and his brother grinned.

Outside the mine the fading sunlight felt like it was searing Callie's eyeballs. Tommy groaned and she had to agree with him. "As much as I love the sun it really needs to go down now," Callie grumbled.

"Why?" Haley teased. "You worried about sunburn?"

"As if," Callie snorted. "I have Native American blood in me Haley-girl. I pretty much never burn."

"Lucky," Haley grumbled and Callie couldn't help but laugh.

"About what happened back there," Sam commented suddenly.

"It was a grizzly bear," Callie cut in, rolling her eyes. "No one would believe anything else."

"That works as a story but I meant the dramatics," he retorted.

"What dramatics?" Dean questioned and Callie rolled her eyes, leaning against a tree and turning back to face them.

"Listen I don't do dramatics and that includes the Tarzan stunt. I just happen to be a little differently endowed than most people. The lab I was at kept muttering something about a super soldier complex. I like to call it my mental problem," Callie said easily, her eyes narrowing. "Regardless I'm faster, stronger, and my subconscious works faster than an average persons. Also I'm theoretically unkillable." The she turned to Haley and asked, "How far is it?"

"Not far now," Haley replied with a smile and led the way. Dean and Sam didn't say anything else until it was after dark and they were back in the park service parking lot.

"Look," Sam said suddenly. "I didn't mean anything by what I said back there."

"I know," Callie replied with an easy smile. "And I shouldn't have snapped. But I'm only apologizing to you." Sam laughed then.

"Well Dean and I have been talking and we were wondering," Sam began before shaking his head. "No that's the wrong way to go about this. We heard you tell Haley you needed to leave now and we wondered if you'd like to come with us." Callie considered this as she watched Haley, Ben, and Dean finish talking with the police officer. She didn't know either of these brothers very well but she had a feeling she could get along with them and that they were trustworthy. If not she could always leave.

"Do I have to apologize to him?" she asked mockingly, motioning towards Dean. Sam fought to hold in laughter and Callie grinned.

"Nah," Sam replied with an answering grin. "It's good for him."

"Count me in then," Callie said just as Dean joined them.

"Good that," Dean cut in with a smile. "Welcome to the crew Callie." Callie glanced at his hand pointedly and he flushed, shaking hands with her while Sam snickered softly. Haley joined them then with a soft smile.

"So I don't know how to thank you," she began softly and Dean smirked suggestively. Haley and Callie rolled their eyes at the exact same moment. "Must you cheapen the moment?" Haley asked.

"Yeah," Dean replied, smirk vanishing into a genuine smile.

"You riding with your brother?" a paramedic called and Haley called back an affirmative.

"I hope you find your father," Haley added as a good-bye. "And call me if you ever need anything Callie."

"Sure thing Haley-girl," Callie replied, hugging her friend and then Ben tightly. "If not in this life then I'll see you on the other side," she added. Then Haley and Ben got into the ambulance and were gone.

"Man I hate camping," Dean complained, leaning against the hood of the car with his brother while Callie snickered softly.

"Me too," Sam agreed.

"Sam, you know we'll find Dad, right?" Dean asked after a moment.

"Yeah, I know," Sam replied. "But in the meantime I'm driving." Dean just shrugged and handed over the keys. "Where do you live so we can get your stuff Callie?" Callie gave directions and sank into the backseat. It took her less than fifteen minutes to gather up her things into a duffle bag and a backpack. Then they were off to who knows where and Callie was leaving her first real friend behind.

* * *

_So now I'm finally finished with Wendigo and I typed up Dean In The Water this weekend. Which means I'm actually ahead of myself! I own nothing but Callie.  
_


	9. Dead In The Water::01

The diner wasn't exactly crowded but the town they were in now wasn't exactly large either. Dean was reading the obituaries with Callie sitting beside him finishing up her fruit. He circled something in red pen and was glad when Callie didn't ask. The young woman was a couple years younger than Sam with blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail and jade green eyes. Sam, Dean's brother, was coming in the front door from checking them out of their hotel room. The waitress came up to them wearing incredibly short shorts and a nametag that said Wendy. "Can I get you anything else?" she asked with a smile. Callie didn't look up but Dean did, smiling.

"Just the check please," Sam said, sitting down on the other side of his brother. Wendy's smile never faltered as she sauntered away. Callie looked up then and grinned at Sam.

"You know, Sam," Dean said, glancing at his brother. "We are allowed to have fun. And that is fun." He motioned at the waitress and Callie groaned, dropping her head and to bang on the table. That got a smile out of Sam but Dean ignored her. "Here take a look at this. I think I've got one." Callie looked up again to lean over Dean's shoulder. "Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin. Last week Sophie Carlton, eighteen, walks into the lake and never comes out. Authorities dragged the water and found nothing. Sophie Carlton is the third Lake Manitoc drowning this year and none of the other bodies were found either. They had a funeral two days ago."

"A funeral," Sam asked, sounding skeptical.

"Yeah," Dean said. "It's weird. They bury an empty casket for closure or something."

"They do it in military families all the time when there's no body to bury," Callie cut in and then rolled her eyes when they both stared incredulously.

"Closure? What closure?" Sam snapped. "People don't disappear Dean. Other people just stop looking for them." Dean was glad when Callie didn't comment. She may have been young but she wasn't exactly stupid.

"Something you want to say to me?" Dean drawled.

"The trail for Dad," Sam hissed. "It's getting colder every day."

"Exactly," Dean said as calmly as he could manage. "So what are we supposed to do."

"I don't know," Sam replied, sounding exasperated and hopeless. "Something. Anything." Callie stood then and intercepted the waitress, talking to her with a false smile glued to her face.

"You know what?" Dean snapped. "I'm sick of this attitude. You don't think I want to find Dad as much as you do?"

"Yeah I know you do," Sam backtracked as Callie came back with their check. "It's just that-"

"I'm the one that's been with him every single day for the past two years while you've been off at college going to pep rallies," Dean said as calmly as he could. "We will find Dad but until then we're going to kill everything bad between here and there. Okay?" Callie sank back into her chair, placed the check next to Dean's elbow and powered up her phone, studiously ignoring them both as Wendy brushed by them.

"All right," Sam replied. "Lake Manitoc."

"Hey!" Callie snapped, smacking Dean's shoulder to get his attention.

"Huh?" Dean asked almost stupidly and Callie rolled her eyes, throwing her hands in the air, standing, and walking out.

"How far?" Sam asked, rolling his eyes.

Dean was driving again. Sam was navigating and Callie was slumped in the back seat checking her voicemail. "Would you mind turning down the music," Callie called up front and Sam reached for the dial before Dean stopped him.

"Why exactly do you need the music down?" Dean asked. "Can't it wait? I like this song."

"You like just about every song you play so if I wait for one you hate I'll never hear the my voicemail," Callie retorted. "Besides I have a friend who never calls me leave me a voicemail and I'm a little worried."

"Fine," Dean muttered and turned down the music to a more tolerable level.

"Thank you," Callie replied and then went back to her voicemail. A few moments later Dean heard her dialing a number. "Hello? Is Arden there?" There was a pause and then she added. "I can't understand a word you're saying." Another pause and then, "Ooh. I'll call back in a couple days. I promise." Then she hung up. Dean exchanged a confused glance with his brother.

"So what was that all about?" Sam asked and Callie sighed.

"My friend Arden stays with another friend, Kaila, most of the time. Kaila has a big family, being Puerto Rican and all, and twelve of her younger cousins are currently in the house with her. I couldn't understand most of what she was saying," Callie explained.

"Do we need to drop you off anywhere before we head to Lake Manitoc?" Dean asked, being surprisingly considerate, but Callie was already shaking her head.

"Arden can take care of herself for a couple days," she replied. "Just drive." And Dean did exactly that, but he turned the music back up as well. They arrived at the Carlton house late in the afternoon and knocked on the front door. A young man came to the door, probably Sophie's brother.

"Will Carlton?" Dean asked to make sure and Will nodded. "I'm Agent Ford. This is Agent Hamill and Agent-"

"Moore," Callie cut in. Dean guessed it was probably a name she had used before she sure enough she had a false ID in one hand. "We're with the US Wildlife Service." All three held up their ID to show Will. The young man nodded and showed them out to the lake.

"She was about a hundred yards out," Will told them, pointing to a spot. "That's where she was when she went under."

"And you're sure she didn't just drown?" Dean asked as gently as he could.

"Yeah," Will replied. "She was a varsity swimmer. She practically grew up in that lake. She was as safe out there as she was in her own bathtub."

"So no splashing?" Sam asked. "No signs of distress?"

"No," Will replied, sounding mystified. "That's what I'm telling you."

"Did you see any shadows in the water?" Sam asked. "Maybe some dark shape breach the surface?"

"No," Will said with a melancholy shrug. "Again she was really far out there."

"You ever see any strange tracks by the shoreline?" Dean cut in, knowing his brother was thinking the same thing he was.

"No, never," Will replied. "Why? What do you guys think is out there?"

"We'll let you know as soon as we do," Dean replied, heading back toward the Impala.

"What about your father?" Callie asked, suddenly, looking toward the figure hunched on the distant dock.

"Look if you don't mind," Will began and then stopped for a moment, glancing at his father and then back at Callie, Sam and Dean. "He didn't see anything and he's kind of been through a lot."

"We understand," Sam responded, pulling Callie back towards the car. She shot a last glance at Bill Carlton and then slipped inside the car without another word.


	10. Dead In The Water::02

The Lake Manitoc Police Station wasn't large as far as police stations went and Callie had seen plenty of police stations to compare it to. Still, somehow, this one felt familiar. "Now I'm sorry," the man sitting across the small oak desk from them began. "But I don't understand why the Wildlife Service cares about an accidental drowning."

"You sure it's accidental?" Sam questioned. "Will Carlton saw something grab his sister."

"Like what?" the sheriff, Jake Devins, retorted, all but rolling his eyes. Callie had known that was coming. Most people didn't believe in the supernatural unless it was standing in front of their face getting ready to kill them. "There are no indigenous carnivores in that lake. There's nothing big enough to pull a person down unless it was the Loch Ness Monster."

"Yeah," Dean said with a forced laugh. "Right."

"Will Carlton was traumatized and sometimes the mind plays tricks," the sheriff continued. "Still-" He paused and ran a hand through his hair. "We dragged the entire lake. We even ran a sonar sweep, just to be sure, and there was nothing down there."

"That's weird though," Dean commented. "I mean that's the third body this year."

"I know," the sheriff said almost sharply and Callie knew Dean had hit a nerve. "These are people from my town. These are people I care about."

"We didn't imply anything to the contrary," Callie said in a soothing tone. "Is it possible that there's some nonindigenous creature hiding in the mud at the bottom of the lake?"

"There could be," the sheriff admitted with a sigh. "But it won't be a problem much longer."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, sounding genuinely confused. Callie resisted the urge to smack herself on the forehead. This was obviously something they were supposed to know about already.

"Well the dam of course," the sheriff replied, studying Dean with narrowed eyes.

"Of course," Dean said quickly, trying to do damage control. "It's spun a leak."

"It's falling apart," the sheriff said shortly, obviously thinking Dean was trying to gloss over the problem. "The feds won't give us a grant to repair it so they've opened the spillway. In another six months there won't be much of a lake. There won't be much of a town either but as Federal Wildlife you already knew that."

"Exactly," Callie said. "And I'm sorry my partners were airheaded enough to forget that this was the town it was happening too. We've been busy lately and, as you already know, budget cuts are a terrible thing for everyone." The sheriff nodded, his shrewd expression softening slightly. There came a knock on the door then and a young, pretty woman stepped into the office.

"Sorry," she apologized quickly as Sam and Dean stood. "Am I interrupting something? I can come back later."

"Gentlemen, Miss," the sheriff said. "This is my daughter." Callie gave the woman a smile and a slight wave and Andrea returned the smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Dean said, laying it on a bit thick as he shook her hand. "I'm Dean."

"Andrea Barr," the woman replied with a smile.

"They're from the Wildlife Service," the sheriff informed his daughter. "About the lake."

"Oh," Andrea said, her friendly face almost completely closing off then. That was when a little boy peeked in around Andrea's legs. Callie offered him a smile when he glanced at her.

"Oh hey there," Dean said, crouching down so he was at the boy's level. "What's your name?" The boy just turned and walked away without speaking and Andrea followed him with an apologetic smile.

"His name is Lucas," the sheriff said as Dean stood.

"Is he okay?" Sam asked.

"My grandson's been through a lot. We all have," the sheriff said, standing and opening the office door for them. "Well if there's anything else I can do for you, please let me know." The four of them walked out of the office.

"Thanks," Dean said with a grateful smile. "You know, now that you mentioned it, could you point us in the direction of a reasonably priced motel?"

"Lakefront motel," Andrea spoke up. "Go around the corner. It's two blocks south from here."

"Two-" Dean began and then stopped himself. "Would you mind showing us?"

Andrea laughed and asked, "You want me to walk you two blocks?" Sam and Callie exchanged exasperated glances, rolling their eyes.

"Not if it's any trouble," Dean said a little too quickly and Callie let out a soft, yet exasperated sigh.

"I'm headed that way anyway," Andrea said, looking amused. Then she turned to her father and said, "I'll come pick up Lucas at three." She turned to Lucas and knelt in front of him saying, "We'll go to the park, okay sweetie?" She kissed Lucas and stood, leading them out of the door. Sam and Callie waved to the sheriff as they left and he acknowledged them with a nod.

"Thanks again," Sam called and then they were gone.

"So cute kid," Dean said after a moment of awkward silence.

"Thanks," Andrea said as they crossed the street.

"Kids are the best, huh?" Dean asked and Andrea ignored him, causing Callie and Sam to grin.

"There it is," Andrea said suddenly, stopping in front of the Lakefront Motel. "Like I said, two blocks."

"Thanks," Sam said awkwardly and Callie nodded at Andrea.

Andrea smiled at both of them before turning back to Dean. "Must be hard with your sense of direction," she said. "Never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line." Sam grinned and Callie let out a whoop, a wide smile racing across her face. "Enjoy your stay," Andrea called over her shoulder with a grin as she walked away.

"Kids are the best?" Sam asked as soon as Andrea was out of earshot. "You don't even like kids."

"I love kids," Dean said, rolling his eyes.

"Name three children that you even know," Sam challenged.

"Well Callie for one," Dean commented and Callie stared at him, torn between indignation and hurt.

"Thanks," she drawled finally in a sarcastic tone. "This here _kid_ is going to get us a room." She was just out of earshot when Sam finished rolling his eyes.

"Thanks Dean," he drawled and headed off after Callie, leaving his older brother to stare after them. "Look," Sam said as he caught up to Callie, which wasn't as easy as it should have been. "He doesn't think before he speaks."

"It doesn't matter," Callie said, dismissing the matter almost sharply. "We have a job to do." Then she plastered a smile on her face as she walked up to the desk. Sam joined her and Dean joined them a minute later to walk to their room. Callie grabbed a fresh outfit out of her bag and headed for the shower, the water turning on a moment later, while Sam powered up his laptop.

"So there's three drowning victims this year," Sam said after a few minutes of searching.

"Any before that?" Dean questioned as Callie slipped out of the bathroom, towel drying her hair.

"Um, yeah," Sam replied after a moment of searching. "Six more spread out over the past thirty-five years. Those bodies were never recovered either. If there's something out there it's picking up its pace."

"So what?" Dean said with a shrug as Callie began brushing through her hair. "We've got a lake monster on a binge. Ow!" He winced and rubbed the side of his head where the hair brush had smacked him. Callie who was now braiding her hair rolled her eyes but didn't say anything.

"This whole lake monster theory, it bothers me," Sam said after a moment of awkward silence, saying what Callie wouldn't.

"Why?" Dean asked, blatantly ignoring Callie as he walked over to read over Sam's shoulder. Great. Now Sam was in the middle of some kind of war between his brother and the girl who had thought it was a good idea to go flying into a wendigo. That was the last thing he needed on this case.

Realizing Dean was still waiting for an answer Sam said, "Loch Ness and Lake Champlain literally have hundreds of eyewitnesses but here, almost nothing. Whatever it is out there, no one has lived to tell about it."

"Wait," Dean said suddenly. "Barr, Christopher Barr. Where have I heard that name before?"

"Christopher Barr," Sam read. "The victim in May. He was Andrea's husband. Apparently he took Lucas out swimming. Lucas was on a floating wooden platform when his father died. It was two hours before the kid got rescued. Maybe we have an eyewitness after all." That was when they heard the door click open.

"Where do you think you're going?" Dean asked just as Sam realized what Callie had and stood to join her.

"To go talk to Lucas," Callie replied smoothly. "Andrea said she was taking him to the park at three and it's a little past three now." Then she turned and walked out the door, leaving the brothers to play catch up.

"Poor kid," Sam could hear Dean say as they walked out the door. "No wonder he's so freaked out. Watching one of your parents die isn't something you just get over."


	11. Dead In The Water::03

The noise at the park was loud, almost explosive to Callie's trained ears. And it hit her right in the chest. She stood there awkwardly at the edge of the park watching while Sam and Dean talked to Andrea. Then she saw Dean head over to talk to Lucas and she leaned against a tree, closing her eyes and placing her fingers on her temples. She wasn't going to cry.

A little girl ran by her, squealing happily as her sister chased her. The girl was brown haired and green eyed, nothing like Callie's little sister, but the happy and carefree way she laughed reminded her of Juliet. Juliet had been beautiful with wide blue eyes and wispy white blonde curls that drifted around her face like a halo. Then she had been shot at a truck stop. It had been a completely random event but it had shaped Callie's life with her mother from that moment on.

Logically Callie knew there was nothing she could have done. She couldn't have ever moved fast enough to shield her sister from the first bullet and she had taken the second in her shoulder, only the second time she had ever been shot. Her mother had already been melting the gun but hadn't managed it fast enough. Neither Stacey nor her daughter had ever forgiven themselves for not reacting fast enough. Guilt was an odd thing, nothing that computed with logic, and after Juliet's death Callie had learned that lesson well.

Most of the time she could relegate Juliet to a tiny box in her mind and forget about her sister. Only in places like this park or in her dreams did Juliet emerge with her angel face. Callie could still see her little sister's blue eyes go wide with shock just before they blanked out an closed, never to open again. She opened her eyes, visibly flinching, and noticed Dean had glanced over at her. She stood then, pulling her body upright, and gave him a little wave before turning and slinking back toward the motel room. She changed into an overlong sleep shirt and short cotton shorts before pulling a spare sheet out of a closet and curling up on the couch. She tried to close her eyes but they just snapped back open. She was never going to sleep now.

Finally she simply dug through her backpack for the sleeping pills. The last time she had been to a doctor's office, the day she had saved Haley, she had been prescribed sleeping pills. She had soon found that the sleeping pills trapped her inside the nightmares but today she needed the escape. The events had simply been too much to deal with. She swallowed two, shut the bottle, set it on the floor, and sank back into her makeshift bed, drifting off to sleep.

Dean stepped into the room right after his brother and breathed out a sigh of relief at the blast of cool air that smacked him in the face. The room was dark, only the setting sun coming in through the blinds lighting the room. Callie was curled up on the couch, a fan whirring above her head. Some kind of pill bottle was sitting next to her backpack and Sam paused to pick it up. "Sleeping pills," he said, sounding confused. "Recommended dosage is two." He opened the cap and glanced inside before shutting it again. "Doesn't really look like they've been used much either."

"Would you use sleeping pills on a hunt?" Dean questioned and Sam sighed.

"Fine. Point taken," he replied. The brothers both showered and then sank into their separate beds after Dean made sure the door was safely locked. Surprisingly, despite the sleeping pills, Callie was awake before both of them. They woke at the same moment when she turned on the shower, adrenalin pumping through their bodies. It had been the same the only other time they'd stopped at a hotel. Both were still adjusting to having Callie around making extra noise in the mornings. Callie didn't say a word to them when she stepped into the main room, hair French braided neatly and dressed in a white blouse and jean shorts because of the shockingly warm November weather. Instead she slipped the pills back in her bag and was reading some battered paperback novel when Dean came out of the bathroom, still toweling his hair dry from his shower.

An awkward silence prevailed over the room when Sam ducked into the bathroom to shower, broken only by the crackle of paper when Callie turned a page. Callie seemed completely absorbed in her book but Dean could see how her muscles tensed at every stray movement and how her eyes flicked around the book to take in the creaking and chatting that floated in from outside. Completely calm and oblivious, she was not. When Sam finished with his shower he and Dean went out for breakfast, Callie mumbling something about not being hungry when Sam mentioned it to her. After they ate Sam said he was going to stop by the Carlton house and talk to Will again. Dean headed back for the hotel room.

Callie was still reading when he entered the room and Dean sank down on the bed. Ten minutes later Sam walked in and said, "I think it's safe to say we can rule out Nessie."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, sitting up. Sam sank down on the bed next to him with a sigh.

"I just drove by the Carlton house. There's an ambulance there," Sam told his brother. "Will Carlton is dead."

"He drowned?" Dean asked, wondering how this ruled out a lake monster.

"Yep," Sam replied shortly. "In the sink."

"What the hell?" Dean asked, startled, and Callie yelped, the book falling from her fingers as she jerked upright to stare at Sam. "So you're right. This isn't a creature. We're dealing with something else."

"Yeah but what?" Sam asked hopelessly, sounding as if he wished he'd been wrong.

"I don't know," Dean replied with a shrug. "Water wraith maybe? Some kind of demon? I mean, something that controls water. Water that comes from the same source."

"The lake," Sam said, finishing that thought.

"Yeah," Dean said softly, feeling the first hint of dread.

"Which would explain why its upping the body count," Sam continued. "The lake is draining. It'll be dry in a few months Whatever this thing is, whatever it wants, it's running out of time."

"And if it can get through the pipes it can get to anyone almost anywhere," Dean finished reluctantly.

"But it isn't after just anyone," Callie muttered under her breath. Sam winced when Dean ignored her and kept right on talking. Some days his brother was an idiot.

"This is gonna happen again soon."

Sam shot Callie an apologetic look but she had already picked up her book and started reading again. "We do know one thing for sure," he told Dean. "We know this has got something to do with Bill Carlton."

"Yeah," Dean agreed. "It took both his kids."

"And I've been asking around," Sam continued. "Lucas's dad, Chris, was Bill's godson."

"Let's go pay Mr. Carlton a visit," Dean said, standing.

"Have fun with that," Callie muttered from the couch and continued reading. Some time when they didn't have a person about to die Callie and Dean were going to have to work this out.

* * *

_Thanks to_ KnightJellyofCamelot _for reviewing the last chapter (Glad you're enjoying it)! I'm hoping with this section to open up a little more of Callie's past to y'all and develop her character a bit more (and yes I did just use y'all). I own nothing but Callie_


	12. Dead In The Water::04

Sam came and dragged Callie out of the hotel room before they went off in search of the church Lucas had drawn. The nineteen year old was sitting silently in the backseat, watching the scenery go by until Dean parked outside the church. Then, while Sam and Dean were still inspecting the building. she walked across the street and knocked on the door. An old woman answered with a confused look on her face just as Sam and Dean scrambled over to join Callie. "We're sorry to bother you ma'am," Callie said. "But does a little boy live here by chance?"

"He might wear a blue ball cap," Dean added. "Has a red bicycle."

"No sir, ma'am," the elderly woman said, letting them into the house. "Not for a very long time. Peter's been gone for thirty-five years now." She picked up a picture and handed it to Callie who looked at it before quickly handing it over to Dean without touching him. "The police never-" she began before cutting herself off and starting again. "I never had any idea what happened. He just disappeared. Losing him you know, it's worse than dying."

"Did he disappear from here?" Dean asked. "This house I mean?'

"He was supposed to ride his bike home from school," the woman replied. "But he never showed up."

"Thank you ma'am," Callie said politely as Dean and Sam exchanged meaningful looks behind her. "And you've probably heard this a hundred times but we're sorry for your loss." Then the three left her alone again and piled into the car.

"Okay," Sam said as soon as they were in the car. "So this boy, Peter Sweeney, vanishes and this is all connected to Bill Carlton somehow."

"Yeah," Dean agreed as he headed for the Carlton home. "Bill sure as hell seems to be hiding something."

"And all the people he loves are getting hurt," Sam said, continuing the thought Dean had started.

"So what if Bill did something to Peter?" Dean asked.

"What if Bill killed him?" Sam corrected his brother.

"Peter's spirit would be furious," Dean finished. "It'd want revenge. It's possible."

The instant the Impala pulled to a stop Callie had leapt out and was heading for the lake. "Mr. Carlton?" Sam called. An engine roared and Callie was flat out sprinting.

"Mr. Carlton come back!" Callie screamed but she jerked to a stop at the edge of the dock, knowing there was nothing she could do. Sam and Dean shot by her, still yelling at him to stop. That was when the boat exploded into a thousand pieces and Bill Carlton vanished into the lake.

They ended up at the police station. Callie couldn't really bring herself to be surprised about this, only terrified. Her first instinct was the bolt. The sheriff would be busy with Sam and Dean and wouldn't bother with her until later. he would send a team after her but she would be long gone. The lab would never find her and she would be safe. There was a weird rushing in her ears and she couldn't hear anything even when Lucas had to be dragged away from Dean. She sank down into a chair and resisted the urge to rock back and forth like a young child. She flinched away when Sam tried to put a hand on her shoulder and ignored the hurt she saw in his face. She had to get out of here. She didn't hear anything until the sheriff said, "We have a couple of options here. I can arrest you for impersonating government officials and hold you as material witnesses of Bill Carlton's disappearance or we can just chalk this all up to a bad day, you get in your car, you put this town in your rearview mirror, and you don't ever darken my doorstep again."

"Door number two sounds good," Sam said and Callie let out a silent sigh of relief.

"That's the one I'd pick," the sheriff replied, ushering them out the door.

They pulled out of the town at night. Dean stopped at red light and remained stopped as it turned green. "Green," Sam said unnecessarily.

"What?" Dean asked blankly after a moment.

"Light's green," Sam repeated with some impatience. Dean sighed and turned right.

"Um, the interstate's the other way," Sam said after a moment.

"I know," Dean replied.

"But Dean," Sam sighed, catching on almost immediately. "This job, I think it's over."

"I'm not so sure," Dean replied.

"If Bill murdered Peter Sweeney and Peter's spirit got revenge, case closed, the spirit should be at rest," Sam reasoned.

"All right," Dean said as calmly as he could. "So what if we take off and this thing isn't done? You know what if we've missed something? What if more people get hurt?"

"But why would you think that?" Sam asked, sounding mystified.

"Because Lucas was really scared," Dean replied simply.

"That's what this is about?" Sam asked incredulously.

"I just don't want to leave this town until I know the kid's okay," Dean said simply.

Sam stared at his brother for a moment before saying, "Who are you and what have you done with my brother?"

"Shut up," Dean replied. In the back seat Callie let out a little moan.

* * *

_Thanks to KnightJellyOfCamelot for reviewing the last chapter (I'm glad spreading out the information about is a good thing so I don't feel bad for jamming it all into one chapter and making my chapters even longer!)! I own nothing but Callie  
_


	13. Dead In The Water::05

The Barr house was mostly dark when they pulled up and Dean rang the doorbell. Lucas threw open the door, stared at Dean with frightened eyes, and then whirled and ran up the stairs. "Lucas," Dean called, taking after the boy. Lucas was pounding desperately at the bathroom door and Callie had to pull him back so Dean could break it down. Dean tried to call down the boy while Sam fought to free Andrea from drowning in her own bathtub. Callie kept casting nervous glances back down the hall but nothing seemed to be coming for her.

"Callie help me," Sam ordered and she let out a little sound that was almost a whine before darting into the bathroom to yank Andrea from the bathtub with Sam. She began coughing up water as Callie backed out of the bathroom.

Dawn broke with no more incidents. Lucas was playing in the kitchen with his soldiers while Andrea, Sam, and Dean sat in the living room. Callie was prowling near the windows gazing nervously outside every few minutes. "Can you tell me what happened?" Sam asked Andrea gently.

"No," Andrea replied immediately as Dean stood up and began looking across photo albums and on pictures. "It doesn't make any sense," she continued and then began crying. "I'm going crazy."

"No you're not," Sam said gently. "Tell me what happened. Everything."

"I thought I heard this...voice," Andrea managed to get out.

"What did it say?" Sam asked.

"It said...it said come play with me," Andrea got out between sobs. "What's happening?"

"Do you recognize any of the kids in this photo?" Dean asked, suddenly smacking down an old album. The sound made Callie jump and whirl around but only Andrea noticed.

"What?" Andrea asked, startled. "Um, no. I mean except that's my Dad. Right there." She motioned to him and Dean noticed that he was standing right next to Peter. "He must have been about twelve in this picture."

"Chris Barr's drowning," Dean said slowly, as if some new thought was finally dawning on him. "The connection wasn't to Bill Carlton, it was to the sheriff."

"Bill and the sheriff," Sam corrected. "They were both involved with Peter."

"What about Chris?" Andrea asked. "My Dad? What are you talking about?"

"Lucas what is it?" Dean asked, startled, as the boy walked out the kitchen door.

"Lucas honey?" Andrea asked, sounding confused. Lucas stopped and looked at the ground before glancing back up at Dean.

"You and Lucas get back in the house and stay there, okay?" Dean told Andrea. She nodded and took her son back into the house. They dug. Callie helped silently and Sam noted that she was still edgy, muscles tensed as they uncovered whatever was buried.

"Peter's bike," Sam said as they pulled the rusted red bicycle out of the dirt.

"Who are you?" a familiar voice asked. Callie let out a startled little cry and spun. Dean and Sam turned more slowly to see the sheriff pointing a gun at them.

"Put the gun down Jake," Sam ordered but the sheriff didn't move.

"How did you know it was here?" Jake demanded as Sam and Dean dropped the shovels.

"What happened?" Dean shot back. "You and Bill killed Peter, drowned him in the lake and then buried the bike? You can't bury the truth Jake. Nothing stays buried."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jake retorted in a shaky voice.

"You killed Peter Sweeney thirty-five years ago," Dean snapped. "That's what we're talking about."

"Dad," Andrea yelled, running toward them.

"It's going to take Andrea, Lucas, and everyone you love. It's going to drown them," Sam explained in a cold voice. "And it's going to drag their bodies off to God knows where so you can feel the same pain Peter's mom felt. And then, after all that, it's going to take you too."

"Yeah and how do you know that?" Jake scoffed.

"Because that's exactly what it did to Bill Carlton," Sam answered calmly.

"Listen to yourselves, both of you. You're insane," Jake laughed but he didn't sound so sure. His eyes kept tracing back to Callie who was trembling almost violently. Andrea's eyes kept floating back to Callie too laced with a bizarre mixture of confusion and recognition.

"I really don't give a rat's ass what you think of us," Dean snapped. "But if we're gonna bring this spirit down we're gonna have to find the remains, salt, and burn them into dust. Please tell me you buried Peter somewhere. Tell me you didn't just let him go into the lake."

"Dad is any of this true?" Angela asked, fully focused on her father now.

"No," Jake snapped. "Don't listen to them. They're liars and they're dangerous."

"Something tried to drown me. Chris died on that lake. Dad, look at me," Andrea pleaded. "Tell me you didn't kill anyone." Her father looked away then. "Oh my God," Andrea cried in despair.

"Billy and I were at the lake," Jake began slowly, almost pleadingly. "Peter was the smallest one. We always bullied him but this time it got rough. We were holding his head under the water. We didn't mean to but we held him under too long and he drowned. We let the body go and it sank. Oh Andrea, we were kids and we were scared. It was a mistake but to say that I had anything to do with these drownings because of a ghost? It's not rational."

"All right," Dean cut in. "Listen to me, all of you. We need to get you as far away from this lake as possible."

That was when Jake turned his head, saw something that made his eyes go wide with horror, and yelled "Lucas!"

"Lucas baby, stay where you are," Andrea screamed but the little boy didn't listen as he leaned over the dock. They were all running but Callie got there just as a cold blue hand pulled Lucas under. Then Peter lifted his head up so Jake could see him just as Callie hesitated a moment and then dived in. Peter vanished and Dean and Sam followed after him.

Callie fought with Peter but it was no use. The ghost lashed out at her and she was forced to head to the surface before diving down again. Nothing. The murky depths went on and on forever. She stayed under until she could take it no longer and then came up gasping. Sam followed her a moment later and then Dean. They were about to dive in when they heard Jake pleading with Peter. "Peter if you can hear me I'm so sorry," he called as he waded further out.

"Daddy no," Andrea cried but Jake ignored her.

"Peter, Lucas is just a little boy. Please," Jake begged. "It's not his fault, it's mine. Please take me."

"Jake, no," Dean yelled but it was too late. Peter was already dragging a completely calm Jake into the depths. That was when all three dove again. And Dean came up with Lucas.

* * *

_Only one more chapter of Dead In The Water left which means I have to get working on Phantom Traveler. I own nothing but Callie _


	14. Dead In The Water::06

Callie dragged her shaking, soaked body out on the dock, gasping for breath. She rolled on her side to watch Andrea tearfully embrace Lucas, thanking Dean profusely. That was when she saw it. The sleek black car, obviously brand new, cruised down the road. A chill ran down Callie's spine and before she knew it she was moving.

She rolled to her feet and sprinted into the woods in the opposite direction of the car, moving on instinct. She heard Dean, Sam, and Andrea call after her but she ignored them as she fought to keep her pace and not trip over tree roots or rocks. Her mind screamed at her to slow down and duck from tree to tree, after all the human eye was attuned to movement, but she couldn't bring herself to slow down. Someone tackled her from behind and she crashed to the ground with a cry, thrashing and trying to twist free.

"Whoa, calm down." Dean? Callie froze, stunned, and was released cautiously. Instantly she curled up in a ball, clutching her knees to her chest and rocking slightly.

"Dean?" she heard Sam call but she just kept rocking slightly. They were here weren't they? Why hadn't they caught up yet? Why wasn't she sedated yet?

"Over here," Dean yelled and Callie figured he was freaked out and wanted to be as far away from her as possible. She was partially right.

Dean was freaked out, mostly because the one person he had yet to see go completely crazy had just bolted for no apparent reason. Then when he had tackled her she had fought like a crazy person. Now she was huddled up in a ball, rocking back and forth and whimpering slightly. Sam caught up to them and eyed Callie with concern. Andrea and Lucas were following him. Lucas gave Dean a smile and let go of Andrea's hand to make his way over to Dean. Andrea carefully picked her way over to Callie.

"I did remember you," Andrea said almost absently, gazing at Callie as she leaned against a nearby tree. "Except you weren't Callie then. You went by Katie except for that one time your mother called you Callie and you almost responded before you caught yourself. Then you ignored her until she called you Katie. Two days after you left and never came back a couple men in white suits and a man in a lab coat claiming to be a doctor came into town looking for a woman named Stacey Colton and her daughter Callison. We all told them we didn't know anyone by those names but I couldn't help thinking of you. They were looking for you weren't they?" Callie gave a small nod, her whimpers vanishing now and her body uncurling slightly. "I suppose you don't remember me."

"I do," Callie mumbled, uncurling almost completely now. "It's hard to forget the only girl who lived on the lake yet refused to step into it." Andrea laughed then and Callie managed a weak smile, taking Dean's hand when he offered it an allowing him to pull her up.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly and Callie looked away as if unable to meet his eyes.

"Fine," she said, pulling her arm away and following Andrea out of the woods.

The next day dawned bright and clear. Sam and Dean were talking about something, Callie wasn't sure what, and packing stuff into the trunk of the Impala. Callie was just glad to be getting away from Lake Manitoc. That was when Andrea joined them with Lucas. "We're glad we caught you," she said with a smile."We made you some food for lunch. Lucas insisted on making the sandwiches himself."

"Can I give it to them now," Lucas pleaded and Andrea nodded with a smile.

"Come on Lucas," Dean said with a grin. "Let's load these into the car."

"Make sure you leave room for me," Callie hollered at them and Dean grinned at her.

"You know," Andrea said in a undertone to Callie as she watched the pair of them. "He's kind of cute when he's nice." Then she winked at Callie and the younger woman felt herself flush. Andrea hadn't just... She couldn't have... What in the world was she... Callie gave up and stopped trying to form a coherent thought as the Winchesters said their good-byes. She hoped she wasn't flushing too badly as she sank into the backseat of the car and waved to Andrea as they drove away.

"So what did Andrea say to you that had you all embarrassed?" Dean asked as they pulled out onto the main road.

"Oh," Callie said with a casual shrug, looking out at the road and fighting to keep the smirk off her face as she responded in a way that she knew would annoy him to no end. "It was nothing."

* * *

_And that was the last chapter of Dead In The Water. On to Phantom Traveler next. If you guys don't mind I have a few questions for you. After reading this chapter; What's one thing you like about Callie? One thing you dislike? Something that confuses you about her character? Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome! I own nothing but Callie  
_


	15. Phantom Traveler::01

_So thanks to _Nette Black Salvatore_for reviewing the last chapter (I actually answer your question in this chapter ironically enough)! I own nothing but Callie. Enjoy and remember to review!_

* * *

The hotel room was still trapped in semidarkness when Dean heard the click of the door unlocking. On the other side of the pillows they had shoved in the middle of the bed after a twenty minute argument, in which both boys had refused to let her sleep on the floor or in the ancient armchair leaning against the opposite wall, Callie stirred slightly. She had been restless all night, fighting off nightmares. Now her muscles deliberately relaxed and she slid her hand under her pillow. Dean already had his fingers wrapped around the hilt of his knife as the door opened. "Morning sunshine, Callie," Sam said in an almost too cheerful voice and Dean wholly agreed with Callie when she groaned and covered her head with a pillow.

"What time is it?" Dean mumbled, releasing the knife and sliding his hand out from under his pillow.

"Uh, it's about five forty-five," Sam replied after a quick check. "You gonna get up Callie?"

"Go 'way," she mumbled from under the pillow and rolled over so her back was to them.

"In the morning?" Dean asked tiredly.

"Yep," Sam replied and Dean sat up with a sigh.

"Where does the day go?" he asked wryly. "Time to get up Callie," he added as he yanked the pillow away from her. She swatted almost absently at him but didn't move other than that. He sighed and threw the pillow. He was actually startled when she caught it and winged it back at him, sitting up with a groan.

"You guys ever heard of sleeping in for once?" she muttered, obviously not expecting an answer. Dean opened his mouth the make some kind of sarcastic comment and she lifted up a hand, saying "Don't answer that."

Dean grinned and then turned back to his brother. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Yeah," Sam said. "I grabbed a couple hours."

"Liar," Dean retorted, blinking as Callie snatched the untouched coffee cup from his hands. "I was up at three and you were still up watching a George Foreman infomercial. By the way that was mine brat."

"Was not," Callie retorted. "Unless you started drinking tea." Dean raised his eyebrows at her and she took the lid off the cup to show him.

"Hey what can I say?" Sam said with the barest hint of a smile as he broke up another argument before it started. "It's riveting TV."

"When was the last time you got a good night's sleep?" Dean asked, switching his focus back to his younger brother.

"I don't know," Sam replied with a shrug, sinking down on the other bed. "It's been a little while, I guess. It's not a big deal."

"Yeah," Dean replied flatly as Callie ducked into the bathroom to change. "It is."

"Look," Sam replied with a sigh. "I appreciate your concern but-"

"Oh I'm not concerned about you," Dean continued, talking over his brother. "It's your job to keep my ass alive so I need you sharp." He paused then as Callie stepped out of the bathroom, French braiding her hair. "Seriously, are you still having nightmares about Jess?"

"Yeah," Sam admitted. "But it's not just her. It's everything. I just forgot, you know? This job, man, it gets to you."

"You can't let it," Dean said, completely serious. "You can't bring it home like that."

"So what?" Sam asked, his eyes almost challenging. "All this, it never keeps you up at light? And you Callie?" Callie let out a dry snort and rattled the bottle of sleeping pills at Sam. Dean simply shook his head. "Never?" Sam asked incredulously. "You're never afraid?"

"No," Dean replied with a shrug. "Not really." Sam raised his eyebrows and pulled the hunting knife out from under his older brother's pillow as Callie began to hum an familiar tone under her breath. Dean snatched the knife from his brother and turned it over in his hands for a moment. "That's not fear. That's precaution."

"All right," Sam replied, rolling his eyes. "Whatever. I'm too tired to argue. And Callie why exactly are you humming Happy Birthday?"

"Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me," Callie sang with a sarcastic smile, finishing her braid. "I'm twenty today."

"Seriously?" Dean asked, turning around to look at her.

"Yup," Callie replied with a shrug. "November 19th."

"Well happy birthday," Sam said with a slim smile and Callie smirked at him as Dean's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" Dean asked, answering his phone. He paused for a minute and Sam and Callie exchanged glances. "Oh right," Dean said after a moment. "Up in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, the poltergeist thing. It's not back, is it?" He paused again, this time leaving Callie and Sam more confused than before. "What is it?" A moment later he confirmed something and hung up. "Okay," he said. "We may have a case from one of Dad's friend. You guys in?" Both confirmed the fact, Callie with an eye roll, and ten minutes later they were in the Impala going to meet Dean and John's friend.

They pulled up to a hanger at midmorning and were greeted by a man Dean introduced as Jerry Panowski. "Thanks for making the trip so quickly," Jerry said as he led them into the hanger. "I ought to be doing you guys a favor and not the other way around. Dean and your Dad really helped me out." Callie trailed on behind Sam, Dean, and Jerry, keeping her eyes on everyone around her. After Lake Manitoc she was definitely feeling paranoid.

"Yeah he told me about it," Sam replied since Jerry obviously expected some kind of response. "It was a poltergeist?"

"_Poltergeist_?" a lab tech questioned. "Man, I loved that movie." Callie giggled quietly a forced herself to relax.

"Hey, nobody's talking to you. Keep walking," Jerry called to the man before turning back to the three hunters. "Damn right it was a poltergeist. Nearly tore our house apart. I'll tell you something; if it weren't for Dean and your dad I probably wouldn't be alive. Your dad said you were off at college. Is that right?"

"Yeah I was," Sam replied. "I'm...taking some time off."

"Well he was real proud of you," Jerry said with a smile. "I could tell. He talked about you all the time."

"He did?" Sam asked, sounding confused.

"Yeah you bet he did," Jerry replied. "Oh hey, you know I tried to get ahold of him but I couldn't. How's he doing anyways?"

"He's um," Dean began awkwardly. "He's wrapped up in a job right now."

"Well we're missing the old man but we get Sam and this lovely lady," Jerry replied with a grin, completely missing the awkward glance that drifted between Sam and Dean. "Even trade huh?" Dean forced a laugh and Sam snorted.

"No, not by a long shot," Sam replied and Callie wisely kept quiet. She didn't want involved in that particular argument.

"I've got something I want you guys to hear," Jerry continued, leading them into an office and sticking something in an old fashioned CD player. "I listened to this and, well, it sounded like it was right up your alley. Normally I wouldn't have access to this. It's the cockpit voice recorder for United Britannia flight 2485. It's one of ours."

Callie leaned forward now, well and truly interested. Something had messed with an entire airplane? "Mayday! Mayday!" a voice all but shrieked over the recording to be heard over the terrified screams in the background. "2485, immediate instruction. May be experiencing mechanical failure..." Then there was a loud whoosh that almost sounded like a roar and the player fell silent.

"It took off from here," Jerry said heavily, losing some of her cheerful demeanor. "Crashed about two hundred miles south. Now they're saying mechanical failure. The cabin depressurized somehow and nobody knows why. Out of over a hundred people on board only seven survived. The pilot was one. His name's Chuck Lambert and he's a good friend of mine. Chuck is...well he's really broken up about it, like it was his fault."

"You don't think it was?" Sam asked. As much as that questions made Callie wince it really was valid. Had Chuck done something accidentally to cause the plain to fail?

"No I don't," Jerry replied, not seeming offended by the question.

"Jerry we're gonna need the passenger manifest," Sam said.

"And a list of survivors," Callie added and Sam nodded in agreement.

"Sure thing," Jerry said with a nod.

"And is there any way we can look at the wreckage?" Dean asked.

"The other stuff is no problem," Jerry said with a shrug. "But the wreckage? The NTSB has it locked down in an evidence warehouse. No way I've got that kind of clearance."

Dean frowned at that for a moment and then his face cleared. "No problem," he said, face smoothing into a smile. "Don't worry Jerry, we'll have this cleared up in no time."


	16. Phantom Traveler::02

Sam and Callie leaned up against the Impala outside a local Copy Jack, Callie glancing at the waterproof watch she had slipped on her wrist that morning. A man and woman, obviously brother and sister, slipped in the building as Dean exited, the woman greeting Dean with a flirty smile and the man throwing a wink in Callie's direction. "You've been in there forever," Sam said, rolling his eyes when he saw his older brother toss a scowl in the man's direction. Maybe his brother did have a soft spot where Callie was concerned. Andrea had suggested it but until now Sam hadn't believed it.

"You can't rush perfection," Dean replied, holding up three new IDs.

"Homeland Security?" Sam asked as he and Callie took theirs. "Honestly isn't that a little illegal even for us?"

"Yeah well, it's something new," Dean retorted as they slipped into the Impala. "Something people haven't seen a hundred times already."

"Because everyone has fake police IDs in their glove box," Callie drawled, rolling her eyes and grinning at Sam.

"Sure they do," Dean replied brightly. "Don't you?"

"I prefer to stick with private detective," Callie replied more seriously with a shrug. "It simplifies things a bit."

"So what have you got?" Dean said, turning back to the subject at hand and glancing at Sam.

"Well Callie and I were right," Sam said. "There's EVP on the cockpit voice recorder."

"Yeah?" Dean asked and Callie nodded.

"Listen," Sam said, and slipped the recording into a player.

"No survivors!" a voice snarled and the three exchanged glances.

"No survivors?" Dean asked. "What's that supposed to mean? There were seven survivors."

"Got me," Sam replied with a shrug.

"Maybe..." Callie began and then shook her head, cutting off the rest of her sentence.

"Maybe what?" Sam asked.

"No," Callie replied with a shrug. "It's nothing."

"Just tell us," Dean said, twisting slightly so he could see Callie. "Please," he added on to the end and Callie sighed.

"Say theoretically that there weren't supposed to be any survivors," she said heavily. "Wouldn't whatever it is start hunting them down?"

"Good point," Sam said and Dean nodded slightly. "All the more reason to find out what it is quickly."

"So what are you thinking?" Dean asked his younger brother. "A haunted flight?"

"There's a long history of spirits, death omens, ect on planes and ships, like phantom travelers," Sam said. "Or remember flight 401?"

"Right," Dean said slowly as he organized his thoughts. "The one that crashed. The airline salvaged some of the parts, put them in other planes, and the spirits of the pilot and copilot haunted those flights."

"Right," Sam replied with a nod. "Maybe we have a similar deal here."

"All right," Dean said with a nod. "So which of the survivors do we want to talk to first?"

"Third on the list," Sam replied. "Max Jaffey."

"Why him?" Dean asked, not really a challenge on Sam's judgment but rather curiosity.

"Well for one thing he's from around here," Sam replied. "And if anyone saw anything it was him."

"What makes you say that?" Dean questioned.

"Well Callie spoke to his mother," Sam began hesitantly.

"And she told me he checked himself into the Riverfront Psychiatric Hospital," Callie finished. "And you don't do that after a plane crash unless you've seen something really weird. You just go to group threapy or something like that."

Dean nodded in agreement, starting the car. "Riverfront psych ward here we come."

The psychiatric hospital had a nice, lush garden in which they found Max Jaffey sitting at one of the white tables. A cane leaned against the side of his chair. "I don't understand," Max said, looking between the three faces before him. "I already spoke to Homeland Security."

"Right but some new information has come up so if you'll just answer a few question..." Dean trailed off and Max nodded reluctantly.

"Just before the plane went down did you notice anything unusual?" Sam asked.

"Unusual how?" Max replied, looking nervous.

"Strange lights, weird noises maybe?" Dean questioned almost hopefully.

"No," Max replied, sounding puzzled. "Nothing."

"Mr. Joffey," Dean began and Callie had to fight not to roll her eyes.

"Jaffey," Max corrected and Dean actually managed to look embarrassed.

"Jaffey," he corrected himself. "You checked yourself in here right?" Max nodded. "Can I ask why?"

"I was a little stressed," Max said, blinking far too much for that to be the truth. "I survived a plane crash."

"Uh-huh," Dean replied skeptically. "And that's what terrified you? That's what you were afraid of?"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Max retorted quickly.

"We don't mean to pry or make you upset," Callie cut in suddenly with a sugar sweet voice. "We just want to get to the bottom of this." The brothers exchanged startled glances at Callie's honey sweet voice. They sure as heck hadn't expected her to talk like that.

"No," Max managed to get out. "No. I was seeing things."

"Even if you were really delusional we still need to know," Callie chided, her voice still thick as maple syrup.

"Just tell us what you thought you saw," Sam added with the hint of a reassuring smile.

"There was this man," Max began hesitantly, glancing nervously at Callie who gave him another sugar sweet smile. "And uh.. he had these eyes...they were, uh, black. And I saw him, or thought I saw him..." He swallowed hard and trailed off.

"What?" Dean pushed as Callie gave Max another encouraging smile.

"He opened the emergency exit," Max blurted out. "But that's impossible, right? I mean I looked it up and there's like two tons of pressure on that door."

"Yeah," Dean said, looking and sounding rather dazed.

"This man," Sam said, looking rather uncomfortable with the question he was about to ask. "Did he seem to appear and disappear rapidly? It would look something like a mirage."

"What are you nuts?" Max retorted reflexively. "He was a passenger. He was sitting right in front of me."

"Thanks for your time," Callie said in a dazed tone, still managing another brilliant smile. Then they stood and rushed out of the psych ward. Callie sank into the back seat feeling as if the world had suddenly gone mad and Dean was driving mutely where Sam directed him with the music miraculously off. Wonders never ceased.

"Here we are," Sam announced suddenly. "George Phelps, seat 20C."

"Hmm," Dean said and shifted slightly as if he was uncomfortable with what he was about to say. "Man I don't care how strong you are even yoked up on PCP or something there's no way you can open an emergency door during a flight." He glanced at Callie though out of the corner of his eye and she flushed, feeling almost sick to her stomach.

"I think I'll stay in here," she mumbled and sank back in her seat, shutting the door softly and closing her eyes. A couple of hot tears squeezed out from under her eyelids and she let herself feel sick for everything Max had gone through for six seconds before she shut her emotions off.

Callie rarely did that, closed herself off. Because of how her body was engineered if she shut down her feelings she also blocked out her pain receptors, preventing her from realizing how hurt she actually was. Someone who didn't realizing they were bleeding out could be a real danger not only to themselves but to everyone around them. Today though it was too much. She was twenty and she was spending her birthday talking to someone who had just lost everything including, he believed, his sanity because of a supernatural creature who had thought it great fun to take down an entire plane. There were families never getting their family members back, children never seeing their parents or grandparents or other relations again, all because of this thing. Finally the last of her emotions trickled away and she was numb by the time the brothers came back.

The official verdict was they needed to see the plane. Callie kept her mouth shut and slipped into a public restroom to change into a black skirt just a little bit shy of being classified a pencil skirt and a cream blouse with a hint of ruffle. She let her hair fall lose around her face and stared at her blank expression in the mirror. She flashed a false smile and called it good enough. Then she slipped the black ballet flats on to her feet and stepped out of the restroom. Sam and Dean were already changed and the result would have amused Callie had she not shut her emotions down.

"Man I look like one of the Blues Brothers," Dean complained, glancing down at himself.

"No you don't," Sam began seriously before abruptly changing his tone as if he couldn't help making a jab at his brother. "You look more like a seventh grader at his first dance." Ordinarily Callie would have been snickering at that and even now her emotions tried to creep up on her but she shoved them down again.

"I hate this thing," Dean grumbled, another comment that should have made Callie laugh again but didn't.

"Hey do you want in the warehouse or not?" Sam retorted as they slipped into the car. Dean just sighed and got in the car.

Getting in the warehouse turned out to be simple in itself but Dean was struggling to focus. Callie's smile to the guard who had looked more than a little interested in her was the fakest one he'd seen in his life, not that the guard had noticed while he'd been blushing slightly and looking anywhere but at her, but that wasn't the only thing wrong. Normally by now she would have made some jab at his appearance or, as his brother had done, at the home made EMF meter. Instead she had a vaguely vacant expression on her face and surveyed everything with disinterest. That was when the meter caught his attention. "Check out the emergency door handle," Dean said and Sam came over to join him. "What is this stuff?"

"One way to find out," Sam replied, scraping some into a bag.

"Homeland Security," Callie said suddenly, her voice soft and utterly expressionless. Dean and Sam exchanged worried glances. "The real Homeland Security." Time to go.

They headed for the back door, picking up their pace when the alarm sounded. The broke out into an all out run at the gate, Dean tossing his jacket over the wire. Moments later they were out and standing on the concrete beyond, Dean retrieving his jacket. "Well this monkey suits do come in hand," Dean said, trying to get a reaction out of Callie, any at all. Instead of a smile or laugh she noticed him looking, shrugged, and headed for the Impala. It wasn't until she reached for the door handle that he saw the red.

Dean grabbed her wrist and flipped it over, watching as red blood streamed from the cut across her hand. "Let go of me." Her voice was cold as arctic ice and her eyes were expressionless.

"You're hurt," Dean pointed out coolly, trying to bring her around to reason. It was as if Callie had slipped into shock and had to be pulled out of it. He heard Sam shift behind him but ignored his younger brother, focusing fully on Callie.

"It isn't that bad," she said, a bit of sharpness in her tone. "Now let go of me."

"Not until your hand gets cleaned up," Dean retorted, his voice coming out sharper than he would have liked.

"Let go of me," she growled and her eyes darkened to an almost inky black color instead of their usual distinctive green. "Now!" Then, without warning, her fist came up to slam into his jaw. Dean jerked back, his grip on her loosening, and saw Callie reel back as well, eyes suddenly green and horror struck. "Oh my God," he heard her whimper. "What have I done?" Then she turned and ran.

Her feet smacked hard on the concrete as she slid through a couple abandoned alleyways, hunching over in one on instinct as the feelings came rushing back. She stumbled over nothing as the rush of emotions washed over her and fell to her knees, retching up sour water and what little she had eaten during the day. Her body dry heaved as she let one hand rest on the cool, shadowed concrete and cradled the injured one next to her. The cut was deeper than she would have expected and dripped bright red blood everywhere. Tear ran in burning tracks down her cheeks as she retched again and tried to figure out where everything had gone wrong. Normally she could keep the emotions down and when she came out she just slept badly and was depressed for the following twenty-four hours but this time a ball of resentment had come out of nowhere and hit her hard in the chest.

That was when her eyes were drawn to a small spot of red inside her left elbow. She tilted it slightly and swiped away the blood with her thumb. A small pinprick was still there. A little whimper escaped her mouth. When could this have happened? Then it dawned on her. When she had slipped out of the car in front of the Copy Jack a woman with vibrant red hair, too bright to be her real color, had accidentally slammed into her and then brushed by without apologizing. With Callie's advanced immune system everything took longer to sink in. Her head spun and she let out a hollow moan. How could she have been so stupid? Her world spun as she tried to stand. All her strength abandoned her then and she crumpled to the ground.


	17. Phantom Traveler::03

_Thanks to _KnightJellyOfCamelot (No kidding would it hurt but luckily Dean takes a punch well) _for reviewing the last chapter! I own nothing but Callie_

* * *

She woke up with her head throbbing and her mouth feeling dry and sandy. The barest hint of light hurt her throbbing head. She shifted slowly, trying to sit up, and a hand on her shoulder shoved her back down. She growled, a low sound that burned against her dry throat, and a voice said, "Easy there. Just stay down for a minute." Callie blinked and ignored the bright light, trying to figure out where she was. A hotel room somewhere?

"Here." She blinked when a plastic cup was shoved into her vision. She reached for it and was then distracted by the gauze on her hand. She tilted her palm back toward her so she could inspect it. "Use the other one and leave that one alone," Dean said, rolling his eyes. "It took me long enough to get you pinned down so you wouldn't smack Sam while he was cleaning it." _She hadn't_... That thought was laced with horror and disgust and somehow Dean saw the emotions before she could push them aside. "Relax, you missed him. And you don't hit that hard anyway."

"You're bruising," she pointed out in her rough voice, switching hands and taking the cup from him. The water felt cool against her throat and she almost sighed in relief.

"So care to explain why you totally lost it on us for a bit there?" Dean asked after she had finished the water and Sam looked up from his research to focus on the answer. _Well crap_.

"Not in particular," Callie replied as blithely as she could manage.

"You're as bad as he is," Dean said with an exasperated sigh and a vague motion toward Sam. "Spill."

"Someone sedated me earlier and it didn't catch up to me until the hanger, okay?" Callie snapped, sitting up finally. "I can normally suppress my emotions but whatever they tried to nail me with wouldn't let the annoyance fade so I lashed out, got sick, and ended up passed out in an alley. Are we all on the same page now?" Her fingers were clenched on the bedspread and she looked down at her white knuckles, breathing in and then out slowly as she released her grip. "So catch me up," she said after a moment of awkward silence.

"The dust on the emergency door was sulfur," Sam said in a matter of fact tone and Callie nodded, absorbing the information.

"So are we talking demon possession?" she questioned and Sam shrugged.

"Every religion in every world culture has the concept of demons and demonic possession," Sam began.

"But none of them describe anything like this," Dean finished.

"That's not exactly true," Sam corrected with a quick grin. "You see according to Japanese beliefs certain demons are behind certain disaster, both natural and manmade. One causes earthquakes, another causes disease."

"And this one causes plane crashes?" Dean asked. Sam nodded reluctantly and his brother stood. "All right, so what?" Dean asked rhetorically. "We have a demon that's evolved with the times and found a way to ratchet up the body count?"

"Yeah," Sam said with a nod. "You know, who knows how many planes its brought down before this one?" Dean shook his head slightly as Callie shifted so her legs were hanging over the side of the bed. "What?" Sam asked his brother.

"I don't know man," Dean said, shaking his head slightly. "This isn't our normal gig. I mean, demons, they don't want anything. Just death and destruction for its own sake. This is big." He hesitated a moment before adding, "And I wish Dad was here."

"Yeah," Sam replied heavily. "Me too." _Awkward._ Dean's phone rang then, saving them from a long and awkward silence. Thank goodness for modern technology.

"Another crash?" Sam asked when Dean hung up the phone.

"Yeah," Dean replied and Callie pulled herself fully to her feet. "Let's go." Then his eyes settled on her. "Not you. Get some rest and we'll come back and get you once we know what's going on." Callie opened her mouth to protest but her over-rid her, saying, "Don't argue."

"Where's the crash at?" Sam cut in before things could get nasty and Callie sighed, sinking back down on the bed.

"Nazareth," Dean replied and Callie snickered tiredly. Then they were walking out the door and pulling it shut behind them with a click. She leaned back on the bed and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the steady throb of blood at her hand and the headache left over from the sedative. Slowly she drifted off to sleep.

_Everything was moving at a liquid slow speed as if drifting through molasses or maple syrup. Knowledge flowed slowly through her. First the voice saying, "No survivors" except this time it laughed and laughed and laughed as her mother's car crashed and the world exploded into white hot pain. Then both the planes crashing and something about time and passengers. Then the man in the psych hospital muttering about black eyes as he wandered across a volcanic plane._

_Finally she was in the lab again, her body throbbing from whatever experiment they had tried. She twisted slightly, ignoring the electrodes taped on her body, and glanced below her. Water. Oh- they had been doing water/electricity runs again. That explained the ache seated deep inside her muscles. Her mind worked as slow as mechanical parts in below zero weather, bringing the pieces of the puzzle together into one single part. It was trying to get rid of the survivors. Oh dear Lord._

_"No." The word was out of her mouth before she could stop it and she flinched. The woman who had been checking something on a computer screen paused and turned back to her, blue eyes turbulent with emotion._

_"Excuse me?" she asked, her voice cold as winter snow._

_"It's killing them all. I have to stop it," Callie said, unable to help herself._

_"Didn't they tell you not to talk?" the woman retorted, punching a button. Callie's body arched in agony as she held in a scream. Her muscles contracted as electricity sank deep into her bones._

_"No," she cried out, unable to stop herself. "No, no, no!"_

"Callie wake up!"

She jerked up with a startled cry, almost banging her forehead against Dean's. "Sorry," she mumbled sheepishly, slowing her breathing. Then reality sank in. "It's going after the others, isn't it." Dean nodded in confirmation. "I'm up and my stuff hasn't been unpacked yet. Let's go."

Sam talked on the phone while Dean drove, probably at least ten miles over the speed limit. "Well that takes care of Blaine Sanderson and Dennis Holloway. They're not flying any time soon," Sam said as soon as he hung up.

"So our only wildcard is the flight attendant, Amanda Walker," Dean finished.

"Right," Sam confirmed. "Her sister Karen said her flight leaves Indianapolis at eight pm. It's her first night back on the job."

"That sounds like just our luck," Dean muttered and Callie nodded slightly.

"Dean this is a five hour drive, man," Sam said. "Even with you behind the wheel."

"Call Amanda's cell phone again and see if we can't head her off at the pass," Dean retorted.

"I already left her three voice messages," Sam replied helplessly. "She must have turned her cell phone off. God, we're never going to make it."

"We'll make it," Dean replied coolly and Callie simply leaned back and closed her eyes, settling in for the ride.

They did make it to the airport on time. "There," Callie said after a moment of scanning the departure board. "They're boarding in thirty minutes."

"Okay," Dean replied as calmly as he could. "We still have some cards to play. We need to find a phone." Callie motioned to the one practically in front of his face and smirked when he rolled his eyes at her. "Hi, Gate Thirteen," he said after a moment. "I'm trying to contact Amanda Walker. She's a flight attendant on flight um..."

"Four-two-four," Sam filled his brother in.

"4-2-4," Dean parroted and Callie smirked again. "Come on," he muttered under his breath and Callie felt the worry begin to get to her as well. "Miss Walker? Hi. This is Dr. James Hetfield from St. Francis Memorial Hospital. We have a Karen Walker here." A pause. "Nothing serious. Just a minor car accident but she was-" Another pause, this one longer. "You what? Well there must be some mistake." Another pause and then Dean's whole position seemed to change. "Guilty as charged. He's really sorry." Callie watched with growing amusement as Dean made up some kind of sob story that Amanda obviously ignored. Finally he put down the phone. "Damn it," Dean cursed. "So close."

"All right," Sam replied. "Time for plan B." They had a plan B? "We're getting on that plane." Oh.

"Whoa, whoa, no. Just hold on a second," Dean said, his eyes going wide.

"Dean that plane is leaving with over a hundred passengers on board," Sam snapped. "And if we're right that plane is gonna crash."

"I know," Dean said reluctantly. Callie tried to catch his eyes and figure out what was wrong but he deftly avoided her gaze.

"Okay," Sam said, calming some. "So we're getting on the plane. We need to find the demon and exorcise it. Callie and I will get the tickets. You get whatever you can get through security out of the trunk."

"Nothing metal," Callie cut in and Dean nodded shortly, glaring at her slightly as if he thought that was how he ought to respond. Was he scared of flying or something?

"Meet me back here in five minutes," Sam finished and then actually looked as his brother. "Are you okay?"

"No, not really," Dean replied and Callie had to fight to keep her jaw from dropping. Seriously?

"What?" Sam asked, sounding as shocked as Callie felt. "What's wrong?"

"Well," Dean began awkwardly. "I kind of have this problem with, ah..."

"Flying?" Sam finished incredulously.

"It's never really been an issue until now," Dean retorted quickly.

"You're joking right?" Sam asked almost desperately.

"I don't think he's joking Sam," Callie said softly.

"Right," Dean said with a slight nod in her direction. "Why do you think I drive everywhere?"

"All right," Sam said, clearly thrown for a loop. "Uh... Callie and I'll go then."

"What?" Dean asked and this time he was the one who sounded shocked.

"We'll take care of this without you," Sam clarified.

"What are you, nuts?" Dean asked incredulously. "You said it yourself. The plane is going to crash."

"Not if we stop the demon," Callie protested and Dean shot her such a venomous glare that she actually backed up a step, shooting Sam a nervous glance.

"Dean," Sam said, catching his older brother's attention again. "We can either do this together or Callie and I can do it ourselves. I'm not seeing a third option here." Callie decided it was a credit to Dean's character that he didn't suggest they let the plane crash.

"Come on man?" Dean complained half heartedly. "Really?" He paused a moment and then sighed. "All right. I'm coming."

"Good," Callie said. "Remember, five minutes." Then she headed for the airline desk.

"Can I help you?" the woman at the desk asked kindly.

"Yes," Callie said, pulling out fake ID and a credit card. "I need three tickets for flight 424. It's a family emergency."

The woman searched for a moment and sighed. "We do have three seats available. What is your name?"

"Kaitlynn Nottingham," Callie replied smoothly, passing over the ID and credit card. The woman typed for a few moments and then printed the tickets off.

"All right," she said tiredly. "You're all set."

"Thank you," Callie said with a sweet smile as she took the tickets, credit card, and ID back before following Sam to join Dean. They were going to make it.


	18. Phantom Traveler::04

They settled in on the plane, Callie somehow ending up as a barrier between Sam and his brother. "Flight attendants please check that all carry-on items are properly stowed," a voice over the PA said and Dean flinched slightly as the pulled away from the gate. Sam glanced at Callie, smirking, and she tried to hold in her giggles.

"Just try to relax," Sam said, leaning over Callie's shoulder to glance at his brother.

"Just try to shut up," Dean retorted, slipping the safety instruction card away as they took off. Callie and Sam exchanged smirks at Dean's flinching. As soon as they shot into the air Dean went to clutch the arm rests but instead of one he got Callie's hand instead. She winced slightly at his tight grip but didn't move as they reached altitude, glancing at him incredulously. When he didn't so much as look at her she sighed.

"Dude that's my hand," she mumbled but he ignored her and when she shot a pleading glance at Sam he simply smirked.

"You're humming Metallica?" Sam asked suddenly, glancing at his brother.

"Calms me down," Dean replied shortly, not letting go of Callie's hand. She was probably going to have bruises after this.

"Look man," Sam said as calmly as he could. "I get you're nervous but you have to stay focused. I mean we've got thirty-two minutes and counting to track this thing down or whoever its possessing and perform a full-on exorcism." At least Sam hadn't reminded his brother that the result of failure was a deadly plane crash.

"Yeah," Dean replied wryly. "On a crowded plane. That's going to be easy." His grip on her hand tightened and she let out a muffled yelp, wincing slightly in pain. Dean shot her an apologetic glance and forcibly loosened his hold a little bit.

"Just take it one step at a time," Sam said smoothly. "Who is it possessing?"

"It's usually going to be someone with some sort of weakness, you know, a chink in the armor that a demon can worm through," Dean said tightly. "Somebody with an addiction or some sort of emotional distress."

"Well this is Amanda's first flight after the crash. If I were her I'd be pretty messed up," Sam said and Callie nodded in agreement.

Dean nodded too and turned to the flight attendant walking by him. "Excuse me, are you Amanda?" he asked.

"No I'm not," the flight attendant said shortly. Callie would have giggled at her annoyed expression had Dean not been clutching her hand so tightly.

"My bad," Dean said but the woman had already walked on. "All right," Dean continued, glancing toward the back of the plane. "That has to be Amanda back there. I'll go talk to her and get a read on her mental state." Thank goodness. Maybe Callie could work some feeling into her hand while he was gone.

"What if she's already possessed?" Sam questioned.

"There's ways to test that," Dean replied, pulling a bottle out of his coat. "I brought holy water."

"Dean!" Sam hissed and his brother flinched, dropping the holy water. Callie caught it with her already injured hand and then flinched, shoving the bottle into Sam's hand.

"Better take that since I only have one hand," Callie gasped out, glancing at the gauze. The bottle had been heavier than she expected so the bandage was already turning crimson.

"I think we can go more subtle than that," Sam continued, tucking the holy water away. "If she's possessed she'll flinch at the name of God."

"Oh," Dean replied, standing. "Nice."

He turned to leave and Sam stopped him, calling, "Hey."

"What?" Dean said, turning back.

"Say it in Latin," Sam ordered.

"I know," Dean replied but Callie saw the flash of confusion on his face and shook her head at Sam, smirking slightly.

"Hey!" Sam called again.

"What?" Dean snapped softly in reply.

"It's Cristo," Sam said and Dean rolled his eyes.

"Dude I know!" Dean snapped impatiently. "I'm not an idiot!"

Callie and Sam watched Dean walk off and then turned to look at each other, saying, "He didn't know." Then they snickered. Dean returned a few moments later.

"Well she has to be the most well adjusted person on the planet," he said softly.

"You said Cristo?" Sam prodded.

"Yeah," Dean replied.

"And?" Callie asked impatiently.

"There's no demon in her," Dean replied, almost babbling. "There's no demon getting in her."

"So if it's on the plane it can be anyone, anywhere," Sam said just as they hit a patch of turbulence and the plane shook.

"Come on," Dean whined softly. "That can't be normal."

"Hey, hey," Sam said soothingly. "It's just a little turbulence." Callie winced as Dean somehow caught her hand in his crushing grip.

"Sam the plane is going to crash, okay?" Dean hissed sharply. "Stop treating me like I'm freaking four."

"You need to calm down," Sam prodded.

"Well I'm sorry," Dean snapped. "I can't."

"Yes you can," Sam replied levelly. "Besides if you don't you'll probably end up crushing Callie's fingers."

"No kidding," Callie mumbled but his grip didn't loosen.

"Dude," Dean mumbled. "Stow the touchy-feely, self help, yoga crap. It's not helping." Callie giggled softly and Dean managed a weak smile.

"Listen," Sam said sharply. "If you're panicked you're wide open for demonic possession so you need to calm yourself down right now." Dean nodded, took a deep breath, and gradually loosened the pressure on Callie's numb hand. "Good," Sam said, holding up John's journal. "Now I found an exorcism in here that I think is gonna work. The Ritual Romanum."

"What do we have to do?" Dean asked, sounding grateful that he had something besides the flight to focus on.

"It's two parts," Sam answered."The first part expels the demon from the person's body, actually making it more powerful."

"More powerful?" Callie asked incredulously and Sam nodded.

"How?" Dean asked.

"Well it doesn't need to possess someone anymore," Sam answered. "It can just wreak havoc on its own."

"Oh," Dean replied shortly. "And how is that a good thing?"

"Well," Sam said slowly. "Because the second part sends the bastard back to hell once and for all."

"First things first," Dean said, standing again. "We have to find it." He looked jumpy. Callie stood as well and massaged the feeling back into her fingers while following Dean. Sam went the other direction and then came back to join them, clamping his hand down on his older brother's shoulder. "Ah, don't do that!" Dean snapped as even Callie jumped. That was when the copilot came out fo the bathroom and the EMF meter spiked. Callie and Dean exchanged glances before looking at the copilot. "Cristo," Dean hissed. The copilot flinched and turned back to glare at them with black eyes.

"Crap," Callie muttered under her breath. This was not good. That was when Dean turned and headed back to where Amanda was. Sam caught on almost immediately.

"She's not going to believe this," he hissed.

"Twelve minutes dude," Dean returned. What could either of them say to that?

"Oh hi," Amanda said as they entered the back. "Flight's not too bumpy for you is it?" Then she looked up fully and saw Sam and Callie.

"Actually that's kind of what we need to talk to you about," Dean said nervously.

"Okay," Amanda said slowly. "How can I help you?"

"All right," Dean said. "This is gonna sound nuts but..."

"We don't have time for the whole truth is out there speech," Callie said when Dean trailed off awkwardly and he nodded.

"Look," Sam broke in. "We know you were on flight 2485. Now we've spoken to some of the other survivors. We know whatever brought the plane down was not a mechanical failure."

"I'm sorry but I can't help you," Amanda stammered, looking as if she were ready to run out on them.

"Whoa, whoa," Dean said as she tried to shove past him. "Wait a second. I'm not going to hurt you. But listen to me. The pilot of 2485, Chuck Lambert, he's dead."

"Wait what?" Amanda gasped, looking shocked. "Chuck is dead?"

"Now that's two plane crashes in two months," Dean continued. "That doesn't strike you as strange?"

"There was something wrong with flight 2485," Sam continued earnestly. "Maybe you sensed it and maybe you didn't but there's something wrong with this flight too."

"You have to believe us," Callie said desperately, feeling her heart slam against her ribs hard. She hadn't really meant it about her funeral when she had texted Kaila before they got on the plane.

"On 2485," Amanda began hesitantly. "There was this guy. He had these...these eyes."

"Yes," Sam said with a nod. "That's exactly what we're talking about."

"I don't understand," Amanda broke off. "What are you asking me to do?"

"We need you to bring the copilot back here," Dean said, getting straight to the point.

"I could lose my job over this," Amanda cried, eyes wide.

"Or everyone on this flight could lose their lives," Callie snapped, out of patience. "Which will it be Amanda?"

"Okay," Amanda said and brushed by them. Moments later she returned with the possessed copilot. Dean slammed the man on the floor and Sam dumped holy water on him that burnt holes in his clothing. Then he began to chant in Latin. "Oh my God," Amanda cried softly, her eyes wide. "What's wrong with him?"

"Look we need you to keep calm and keep everyone out of here," Callie said quickly. "Can you do that?" Amanda nodded and fled. That was when the demon knocked Dean back hard and ripped the duct tape off his mouth.

"I know what happened to your girlfriend," it snarled, grabbing Sam by the collar. "She must have died screaming. Even now she's burning." Callie ripped them apart only to be slammed against the wall by her throat, her pulse hammering loudly in her ears as it began to choke her. She tried to pry it's fingers off her throat but Dean beat her too it, simply ripping the demon off her.

"Sam!" he snapped and Sam went back to the exorcism like he had just shaken off some kind of trance.

"I got it," Sam said and a cloud of black mist swirled up into the vent. Then the plane went into a nose dive, tossing Callie into a wall and Dean into another. Sam went back to the chant as lights flashed and screams came from everywhere. Then, as suddenly as it had come, the darkness was gone and the plane steadied.

"I'm sorry everyone but we seem to have been experiencing some technical difficulties," the pilot said over the PA system. "We will be heading back to Indianapolis now." Sam, Dean, and Callie exchanged relieved glances before slinking off to their seats. The airport was hectic, thick with people who had heard about the sudden problems because someone in the airport had leaked it to someone in the news industry. They had just made it into the main entry when a bundle of hair the color of winter wheat and slim muscled limbs flew into Callie's arms.

"Thank goodness you're safe," she chirped, gazing into Callie's green eyes with her blue ones. "Kaila told me about your message and we figured it out. When we heard about the problems I came here since Kai still has to baby sit." She paused for a moment to hug her friend tightly again and then say, "Now we both know the other is safe."

"What took you so long to get out of where you were?" Callie questioned, pulling back from the girl.

"Oh you know," the girl responded with a cheeky grin. "Water and electricity don't mix. Laters." Then she was gone just like a summer storm, there one moment and vanishing the next to leave Callie staring after her.

"Who exactly was that?" Dean asked as they slid into the Impala.

"Congratulations," Callie said sarcastically but with the barest hint of a smile on her face. "You just met Arden."

They rode in silence back to Jerry's hanger where he met them outside, shaking their hands. "Nobody knows what you guys did," Jerry said. "But I do. A lot of people would have been killed if it weren't for you. Your Dad's gonna be real proud."

"We'll see you around Jerry," Sam said with a slim smile. It was obvious to Callie that despite Dean's reassurances that the demon had been lying about his girl friend, Jessica, that Sam was far from convinced but that wasn't her problem.

"Hey Jerry," Dean said after they had walked a few steps, turning back to the man. "I meant to ask you, how did you get my cell phone number anyway? I've only had it for like six months."

"Your dad gave it to me," Jerry replied promptly.

"What?" Sam asked, whirling around to face the man.

"When did you talk to him?" Dean asked, trying to keep the excitement out of his voice.

"I didn't exactly talk to him," Jerry replied. "But I called his number. His voice message said to give you a call. Thanks again." Then Jerry turned and walked off with a wave. Dean and Sam exchanged looks before turning and heading for the Impala with Callie trailing after them.

"This doesn't make any sense," Sam said, hurrying to keep up with his brother despite his longer legs. "I've called Dad's number like fifty times. It's been out of service." But Dean ignored his brother and was already dialing.

They all heard the message after a couple moments. "This is John Winchester. I can't be reached. If this is an emergency call my son Dean at 785-555-0179. He can help." They all stared in shock at the phone for a couple moments, Callie fingering the slightly damp and bloody gauze on her hand. Sam sighed suddenly and stalked into the car. Dean and Callie exchanged glances before following him and they pulled away from the hanger without another word.

* * *

_And that's the end of Phantom Traveler. Before anyone asks Arden will actually show up again and be explained but later. Right now she's simply a loose end that had to show up for consistency's sake so someone wouldn't point out that she was mentioned later. I own nothing but Callie and Arden  
_


	19. Bloody Mary::01

Sam jerked awake with a gasp and Callie jumped at the sudden movement, jerking up from her slumped position against the side of the car. Slowly he relaxed again and let out a soft sigh. "I take it I was having a nightmare," he said after a moment of silence.

"Yeah," Dean replied. "Another one." Sam glanced at Callie for confirmation of his brother's words and she nodded.

"Hey, at least I got some sleep," he said after a moment.

Dean studied his younger brother for a moment before saying, "You know, sooner or later we're going to have to talk about this."

"Are we here?" Sam asked quickly, eager to change the subject.

"Yeah," Callie cut in, saving Sam for the time being.

"Welcome to Toledo, Ohio," Dean added and there was a crackle as Callie unfolded a newspaper article.

"The Shoemaker family is sad to announce the sudden death of beloved husband and father Steven Shoemaker. Steven was forty-six. A short service will be held on Wednesday at two pm," Callie read aloud before folding up the article again and sticking it in her pocket.

"So what do you think really happened to this guy?" Sam asked.

"That's what we're gonna find out," Dean answered while Callie shrugged and slipped out of the car. "Let's go."

The morgue had a small office in the front with two desks, one of which was empty. The second one held a younger looking man reading some kind of science journal. He looked up when they walked over to him and said, "Hey."

"Hey," Dean replied awkwardly.

"Can I help you?" the young man asked as Callie wandered along the office, glancing at the few newspaper articles framed on the wall.

"Yeah," Dean replied, almost tripping over his own tongue. "We're uh... we're the med students."

"Sorry?" the technician asked politely, looking both puzzled and annoyed.

"Oh," Callie said suddenly, coming over to them with a startled hand over her mouth. "We're so sorry. Dr. Feiklowicz didn't tell you?"

"We talked to him on the phone," Dean added. "We're from Ohio State."

"He's supposed to show us the Shoemaker corpse for our paper," Callie finished.

"Well I'm sorry," the technician replied, still looking a little puzzled. "He's out to lunch."

"I'm sure he said to come now," Callie said, still playing the airheaded blonde. "I'm so sorry for all this."

"It's not a problem," the technician replied. "If you're willing to wait for an hour he'll be back then."

"An hour," Callie cried, looking fretful. "But we're supposed to be back at Colombus by then. Couldn't you show us the body?"

"Sorry but I can't," the technician replied and he really did look sorry for it.

"Man, this paper is half our grade," Dean grumbled not so under his breath and Callie had to hide a laugh.

"Are you sure you can't show us?" she pushed him gently, slipping a hand in her pocket and dropping a few twenties on the desk in front of him. "I'm sure the doctor wouldn't mind."

"All right then," the man replied, slipping the money off the desk. "Follow me."

"In the newspaper they said his daughter found him," Sam spoke up as Dean and Callie exchanged triumphant grins behind his back. "She said his eyes were bleeding."

The lab technician pulled the body out of the refrigeration unit and pulled back the sheet from Steven Shoemaker's dead face. "More than that," he answered. "They practically liquefied."

"Any sign of a struggle?" Dean asked. "Maybe somebody did that to him."

"Nope," the morgue technician said with a shake of his head for emphasis. "Besides the daughter he was all alone."

"What's the official cause of death?" Sam asked.

"Uh, doc's not sure," the man answered hesitantly. "He's thinking massive stroke, maybe an aneurysm? Something burst up there, that's for sure."

"What do you mean?" Callie cut in.

"Intense cerebral bleeding," the tech answered with a puzzled shake of his head. "The guy had more blood in his skull than anyone I've ever seen."

"The eyes," Sam began. "What would cause something like that?"

"Capillaries can burst," the technician answered a little too quickly. "You see a lot of bloodshot eyes with stroke victims."

"Yeah?" Dean said with a barely suppressed scoff in his tone. "You ever seen exploding eyeballs before?"

"That's a first for me," the morgue technician replied with a shrug. "But hey, I'm not a doctor."

"Hey, think we could take a look at that police report?" Dean asked. "For our paper."

"I'm not really supposed to show you that," the man replied, looking decidedly edgy.

"Please," Callie pleaded with a shy smile.

"I guess just this once it wouldn't hurt," the morgue technician allowed.

"Oh thank you so much," Callie gushed, batting her eyelashes a little and beaming at the man like an air headed college girl. Fifteen minutes later they were walking out of the morgue with all the information they needed.

"Might not be one of ours," Sam suggested as they thunked down the stairs. "It could just be some freak medical thing."

"It's possible," Callie allowed. "But really not probable."

"Yeah," Dean agreed. "Besides, how many times in Dad's long a varied career has it actually been a freak medical thing and not some sign of an awful supernatural death?"

"Um, almost never," Sam admitted.

"Exactly," Dean replied.

"Obviously neither of you have ever been out of the country," Callie said with an eye roll and an exasperated sigh.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean asked, hurrying after her.

"Nothing," Callie called back sweetly with a wicked grin.

"Nothing?" Dean asked, sounding exasperated.

"I don't need a parrot," Callie shot back, still grinning so it softened the jab.

"All right you two," Sam said with a placating smile. "Enough of this. Let's go talk to the daughter."

The drive to the Shoemaker house from the hospital was remarkably simple. Callie took the time to pull her hair back in a bun with a few bobby pins, wishing she had time to change. One didn't exactly walk into a funeral wearing jeans and a violet t-shirt and make a good impression. "Hey," she said before they slipped in, stopping both of them in their tracks. "I'm going to come in after you. Whatever story you make, keep me out of it." Both hesitated visibly and she sighed. "Trust me," she insisted the Sam nodded, pulling his brother after him. Callie took advantage of the extra time to pick the lock on the next door house and change quickly. She locked the door and slipped out the back, come along down a lane between the two house accompanied by the click of heels. Her phone second phone, an older model Blackberry, was in one hand and a neat black purse hung down from the other arm. There was a small black jacket over her violet shirt and she wore a pair of black pants now, her second professional assemble.

She made her way slowly through the crowd, joining Dean and Sam in front of the two Shoemaker daughters and a young woman she presumed was a family friend. The boys were just leaving when she walked up to them. "Hello," she said with a gentle smile. "I don't suppose you know me but my father was a friend of your mother a long time ago and they kept in touch until she passed on."

"I'm sorry but you're right, I don't know you," the older girl said with a smile, obviously glad of the interruption. "My name is Donna. This is my little sister Jill and my best friend Charlie."

"I'm Kaitlynn Nottingham," Callie said, shaking Donna's hand with a smile. "It's nice to meet you though it's a pity under these circumstances."

"Yes, it really is too bad," Donna agreed. "But I could use a distraction. Tell me about yourself."

"I'm a reporter for a magazine called the _Scene_," Callie lied smoothly. "It's a little small town but it specializes in urban legends and superstitions. The writing is fun and so is the traveling but the hours are bad and the pay is only okay. I was just staying a couple towns over for a day or so when I saw the obituary in the newspaper and I had to stop to expression my condolences."

"That's very kind of you," Donna replied. "So are you hoping to make a break in the world of journalism?"

"Yes," Callie replied. "I want to work in some bigger city newspaper for a couple years, make my mark, and then move back to small time. Until my big break though I'll take what I can get." Her phone alarm, which she had set before she entered the conversation, beeped. She glanced at it with a worried expression and then looked up, apologetic. "I'd really love to continue this conversation but it looks like I need to get going. Maybe we'll see each other again."

"Stop by if you ever come this way," Donna encouraged with a bright smile. "Is there anything you need before you go?"

"Well," Callie began in an almost embarrassed tone. "If it isn't too much trouble could I use your restroom before I leave?"

"Of course," Donna replied with an understanding smile. "Charlie, would you mind taking her to the bathroom?"

"Not at all," Charlie replied, standing with a smile. "Follow me, Kaitlynn isn't it?"

"Yes," Callie replied with a smile. "Thank you ever so much, both of you."

"Not a problem," Donna replied and Charlie shot her another smile over her shoulder before leading the way into the house.

* * *

_So first chapter of Blood Mary done. Actually it's the only chapter of Bloody Mary I have done yet. Comments are always welcome as long as they're not flames.  
_


	20. Bloody Mary::02

Callie followed Charlie through the semidark of the Shoemaker house and up the stairs towards the bathroom. They reached the landed just as Sam stepped out of the bathroom. "What are you doing up here?" Charlie demanded.

"We, uh, we had to go to the bathroom," Dean lied quickly and Callie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. If they were going to lie they should at least lie well.

"Who are you?" Charlie snapped, not believing Dean at all. Good for her. Callie had thought Charlie was a smart girl and now it looked like she was right.

"Like we said downstairs," Dean lied smoothly. "We worked with Donna's dad."

"He was a day trader or something," Charlie said scornfully. "He worked by himself."

"No, I know," Dean said, scrambling to cover his tracks. "I meant-"

"And all those weird questions downstairs," Charlie continued over him. "What was that? Tell me what's going on or I start screaming."

Sam's eyes made Callie's for the barest instant and she gave a tiny nod. "All right, all right," he said quickly. "We think something happened to Donna's dad."

"Yeah," Charlie replied with attitude. "A stroke." Once again Callie had to fight not to roll her eyes. Sam was being a little too delicate at the moment.

"That's not a sign of a typical stroke," Sam returned easily. "We think it might be something else."

"Like what?" Charlie asked curiously, dropping the attitude.

"Honestly?" Sam said we a shrug. "We don't know yet but we don't want it to happen to anyone else. That's the truth."

"So if you're gonna scream go ahead," Dean added. He was behind his brother now since Sam had stepped around him to speak to Charlie.

"Are you guys cops or something?" Charlie asked curiously.

"Yeah," Dean replied. "Something like that."

"I'll tell you what," Sam added, reaching into his pocket and pulling out paper and a pen. He scribbled down his number and handed it to Charlie. "If you think of anything else calls us."

"Sure," Charlie called over her shoulder as they headed down the stairs. Her tone was rather sharp and skeptical again. It softened when she turned back to talk to Callie. "Here's the bathroom. I can wait for you if you want."

"I'll be fine," Callie reassured her. "You go out and make sure Donna is okay. She needs good friends like you at a time like this." Charlie smiled at Callie and then headed down the stairs as Callie ducked into the bathroom and shut the door. The bathroom looked ordinary and there didn't seem to be anything off. She had hoped for some clue but she saw nothing. With a sigh she glanced at her watch, confirming that adequate time had passed, and headed back down the stairs. She waved at Charlie, Donna, and Jill before she headed out as if in a rush and the three waved back at her.

Sam and Dean were waiting for her in the Impala. "Please tell me you got more than we did," Dean pleaded.

"What exactly did you get?" Callie shot back and Sam grinned at her.

"According to Jill, Bloody Mary killed Steven Shoemaker," he explained. "My first instinct is to say no way but there's nothing in the bathroom to suggest a creature killed Steven."

"It might not necessarily be Bloody Mary," Callie pointed out. "It could be another spirit hanging around."

"True," Sam admitted. "There's only one way to find out. We need to get to the library and do some research." Dean groaned but started up the car and pulled away from the Shoemaker house. The library was small and dark compared to the brightly lit outside.

"All right," Dean said in a hushed tone, placing his hand on the library door to prevent either one of his companions from moving around him. "Say Bloody Mary really is haunting this town. There has to be some sort a proof. Maybe a local woman who died a nasty death."

"Yeah but with a legend this widespread its going to be hard," Sam said, pushing past his brother and into the actual library. "I mean no one can even agree with who she actually is. One version says she's a witch, another a mutilated bride, and, well, you get the picture."

"All right," Dean said with a sigh. "What are we supposed to be looking for?"

"Every version has something in common," Sam explained. "It's always a woman named Mary and she always dies in front of a mirror."

"There's at least one exception I know of to that theory," Callie cut in. "I heard it in one of the places we used to live in."

"What are you even talking about?" Dean asked. "I mean we're looking for a Mary in front of a mirror so what relevance does that fact even hold."

"Just listen," Callie shot back. "Supposedly a man named Joseph Wales and his wife Virginia liked in Lake County in Indiana. Joseph loved no one as much as Virginia so when she died giving birth to their daughter Mary he was devastated. He let everything go, his farm and business falling into disrepair, and hated his daughter with a passion. He only kept little Mary because she was the only tie he had to his beloved wife. As Mary grew older she became more and more like Virginia which torment Joseph. One night, heavily drunk, he crept into her room while she was still asleep and slashed little Mary to death. He buried her in the cellar the next morning and strived to forget she every existed."

"And Mary came back for revenge," Dean said. "It's only logical. Most people that died a horridly violent death have a tendency to come back."

"Exactly," Callie agreed. "The story says that the restless spirit of Mary Whales hounded her father night and day until he could take it no longer. He wrote a suicide note detailing what he had done and hung himself in the barn. Local farmers found him when trying to return some of his cows that had wandered off. The legend ends by saying if anyone called Mary up she would slash their face to match her own."

"Creepy," Sam admitted. "And not a version I'd heard before. Still it's likely that our Mary died in front of a mirror somewhere. That means we need to search public records and see if someone fits the bill."

"Well that sounds annoying," Dean grumbled before leading the way into the library.

"No," Sam replied, following him. "It won't be bad so long as..." He paused and glanced at the computers that all stated clearly they were out of order. He and Callie both smirked at each other when they heard Dean's exasperated groan. "I take it back," Sam said with a grin. "This is going to be very annoying."

They searched for hours before heading back to where Dean had seen a hotel and checking in for the night. Somewhere in the middle of their research Sam had drifted off to sleep. Now Callie was skimming through the local newspaper records on her Blackberry and Dean was searching town records on the laptop. Sam woke up suddenly, gasping slightly. "Why'd you let me fall asleep?" he asked, still staring at the ceiling.

"Cause I'm an awesome brother," Dean shot back. "So what did you dream about."

"Lollipops and candy canes," Sam said dryly and Callie fought down a laugh.

"Yeah, sure," Dean drawled sarcastically and Callie stuck her fist in her mouth to keep from downright laughing at them both.

"Did you find anything?" Sam asked after a moment, sitting up.

"You mean besides a whole new level of frustration?" Dean asked. "No and we've looked at everything."

"A Laura and a Catherine committed suicide in front of a mirror," Callie added. "And a giant mirror fell on a man named Dave but there's no Mary."

"Maybe we just haven't found it yet," Sam said with a sigh, dropping back down on the bed.

"I've also been searching for strange deaths in the area," Dean said. "You know, eyeball bleeding, that sort of thing. There's nothing. Whatever's happening here, maybe it just ain't Mary."

"Well what else do you know that causes liquefied eyeballs?" Callie snapped, tossing her phone down on the bed. "Something doesn't add up here."

"Well no duh," Dean snapped back. "There's someone dead here from an unknown cause and the only lead we have is some kind of urban myth. This is all kinds of wrong right now."

"Well if you have a better idea speak up now," Callie retorted just as Sam's phone rang. He held up his hand to silence them as he picked it up.

"Hello?" he asked and then his face shifted from wariness to concern. "We'll be right there," he said and then hung up. "That was Charlie," he told both of his listeners. "She has something to tell us and she sounds pretty shaken up."

Dean drove them to the park in silence. The aftermath of the argument between Dean and Callie had left tension almost like electricity behind with them. Charlie was waiting for them on a park bench sobbing. Her story came out piece by piece starting with her friend saying Bloody Mary three times in front of a mirror and the police finding her dead on the floor this morning. "And her-her eyes," Charlie finished, hiccupping slightly as she fought down her sobs. "They were gone."

"I'm sorry," Sam told her softly. What else could they say? Bloody Mary had struck again.

"And she said it," Charlie babbled on, missing Sam sending a meaningful look at his brother. "I heard her say it. But it couldn't be because of that. I'm insane, right?" Watching from the trees a few feet away Callie couldn't help but sympathize with the girl.

"No," Dean reassured her. "You're not insane."

"Oh God that makes me feel so much worse," Charlie babbled.

"Look we think something is happening here," Sam said gently. "Something that can't be explained."

"And we're going to stop it," Dean added. "But we could use your help."


	21. Bloody Mary::03

_First let me say I am so, so sorry for not updating this sooner. I got distracted this summer and haven't watched any Supernatural nor have I written any more of this. Then when I got on here I started a Hunger Games fan fiction as well and that distracted me. My sincerest apologies. Thanks to _kittykat6625 _(I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!), _Nette Black Salvatore (_Sorry you had to wait so long!), and _tigereyekum _(Yes indeed) for reviewing the last chapter! I own nothing of Supernatural you recognize._

* * *

While Dean and Sam went with Charlie to the newest sight of death Callie headed back for the hotel room. The walk was short and it felt good to actually walk instead of drive. Despite Bloody Mary and her killing spree Callie was a good mood up until she saw who was waiting for her at the hotel. The woman had hair as red as flame but she would have meant nothing to Callie had she not been the someone who had drugged her earlier. "You," she hissed and the woman smiled.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced," the woman said, leaning against the building. "My name is Lucinda and I'm here to take you back to the hospital."

"Go to Hell," Callie spat furiously. "Because you're not taking me anywhere."

"That's what you think," Lucinda said, smug as a cat that had gotten the cream. Callie growled under her breath and lunged at the red head. She was pleased to see Lucinda's eyes widening just as her head banged back against the wall. Then her eyes rolled up in her head.

"That's what you think," the girl spat. Then she felt something pierce her shoulder. She turned her head to see a handsome man of her age saunter toward her.

"Miss me?" Hunter asked with a grin, the dart gun carried easily in one hand.

"No," Callie snarled. "And you can go to Hell too for all I care."

"Ah," he said with a smirk. "I'm hurt." But Callie could tell he really was as she yanked the dart free and crushed it, already feeling the sedative kicking in.

"Yes," she sneered. "You are." Then she too passed out.

When Sam and Dean arrived at the hotel a couple hours they were startled to find that Callie had never actually made it inside the lobby. The young woman at the desk did remember a woman with red hair asking after their companion who had waited outside. That night while Dean searched the national databases for any sign of their Mary, Sam hacked the security cameras outside. "Found it," he said after twenty minutes and then his face fell. "This isn't good."

"What?" Dean asked, walking over in time to see the blond man take down Callie with some kind of dart. "No it isn't," Sam's older brother agreed after a moment. "Now we not only have a Mary who is killing people for their hurtful little secrets but Callie has just been dragged off by some kind of maniac with a dart gun."

"One problem at a time," Sam said after a moment, closing the window. "Mary first. We have to trust that Callie can take care of herself for a while."

"On that note I did find something," Dean said, grabbing his laptop and pulling it over. "Take a look at this." He showed Sam first a picture of a dead girl lying in a pool of blood and then a bloody handprint with three letters written next to it.

"Looks like the same handprint," Sam said.

"Her name's Mary Worthington, an unsolved murder in Fort Wayne, Indiana."

"Guess we're going to Fort Wayne then," Sam said and Dean nodded.

Callie woke up, her head throbbing. She was strapped down to a table. She glared at the ceiling as she heard heels clicking toward her. Then Lucinda was standing next to her. "Not so tough now that you're all tied up are you bitch," the red head hissed.

"Go to Hell," Callie returned. That was beginning to sound like her catch phrase. She really needed a better retort. A door opened and a doctor with grey hair marched in.

"Out Miss Marker," the doctor ordered. "I have to check this one over and then leave her for twenty-four hours before the drug can be administered. I do not require your help." Lucinda Marker huffed and stalked out of the room. The doctor did a few scans and even took a blood sample before he injected her with some kind of sedative and everything went black.

When Callie came to again she was sleeping on a hospital bed with her clothes still on and she was still tied down. She had to find some way to get out of here. That was when she saw the shadow in the doorway. _Hunter_. She could manipulate his affection for her but she would have to be more careful than she had been before.

"Hunter?" she asked, forcing her voice to sound raspy and still drugged which wasn't as difficult as she thought it would be.

"Yeah sweetheart?" he drawled tiredly and she let out a genuinely relieved sigh, glad that it really wasn Hunter and not someone else. The best lies were cloaked in truth.

"I hurt," she mumbled.

"Where?" he asked, still only half interested.

"My shoulder," she mumbled and saw his shoulders hunch guiltily.

"Yeah," he said and he sounded heartbreakingly guilty. "I'm sorry about that." She mumbled something and saw him leaning toward her.

"Why'm I tied down?" she mumbled, tugging at her bonds.

"You're dangerous," he returned and she could hear amusement this time as he walked over to her. Callie let out a half drugged, half amused giggle.

"I know that," she slurred. "Why'm I tied down an' drugged."

"I don't know," he said, hand drifting to her cheek. She let out a contented sigh, happy at how well her plan was working, and leaned into his touch. He stroked her cheek a moment and then his hands moved to release her from her bonds. "There. Better."

"Yeah," she mumbled. "Shifting slightly so she wasn't on her stinging shoulder. "Can I have a drink?" Hunter turned to the table by the side of the bed and picked up a glass of water, helping her sit up so she could drink. Once she did her head cleared considerably. "You can't let 'em drug me," she mumbled and she saw the guilt in his eyes.

"No," he replied. "I can't. But I can't just let you walk out."

"Then don't," she said, sliding free of the bed and standing shakily, pulling his head down to kiss him, imagining he was anyone else. His arms came around her shoulders and he kissed her back. When they pulled away, gasping for breath, she stroked his cheek and smiled at him. "Just step out of the room for a moment."

"Of course," Hunter said. "Good luck." Then he leaned down and kissed her once more before leaving. Callie grinned, triumphant with success, and broke out the window. As alarms blared she was already running free into the woods. She climbed the electric fence, unbothered by the electricity since she never touched the ground while she was holding on to the fence.

Her first stop when she was free was to hitchhike back to Toledo. From there she had only luck to rely on. She was actually delighted when she saw the familiar Impala parked in front of an antiques shop. She tisked under her breath as she glanced at the unconscious cops. "Such sloppy work," she mumbled with a smirk, stepping inside the shop.

The entire shop was a twisted maze of old junk and ancient treasure. Callie didn't see any mirrors until she arrived at the back. That was when she heard and shatter and then a wail. She spun and ran back toward the front. She paused in the shadows when she saw a girl's black form rising up to glare at Sam and Dean. She acted instinctively then, shoving the first mirror she found to the ground and snarling, "Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary. Bloody freaking Mary." Mary shrieked and whirled on her, then paused, seeming confused.

"You've killed lots of people," Mary said, sounding almost innocent in her confusion. "Lots and lots of people but you don't care."

"That's right," Callie replied. Her face cold and her tone frozen. "They can go to Hell for all I care and so can you." Then she flipped around another mirror so Mary was looking at her own face.

"You killed them," Mary's reflection crooned. "All those people. You killed them!" Mary let out an ear piercing shriek, shattering all the mirrors around her before vanishing completely.

"Well," Callie said half breathlessly. "That's the end of Mary."

"How did you get here?" Sam asked, sounding shocked.

Dean on the other hand smirked and said, "You're late."

"I am exactly on time," Callie said primly before smirking as she glanced around at all the shattered mirrors. "This has to be worth about 600 years of bad luck." Dean laughed then and Sam grinned.

"Now we have to take Charlie home and tell her everything is all right," Sam said as they walked out of the store.

"Then I'll have to disappear again," Callie slurred with a wide yawn.

"Oh no you don't," Dean snapped. "We'll got and get Charlie tomorrow morning. Right now we're going back to the hotel room and you're going to tell us exactly what happened."

"Fine," Callie drawled as she rolled her eyes. "_Mother_." That actually got a laugh out of Sam and a groan from Dean. She did spill the whole story that night before she drifted off to sleep, her first natural sleep since she had been kidnapped and escaped. The next morning Sam and Dean returned Charlie to her home before coming to pick Callie up.

They were just on their way out of town when Dean said, "Hey Sam?"

"Yeah?" Sam asked.

"Now that this is all over I want you to tell me what that secret is."

Sam smiled slightly and glanced out the window. "Look," he said after a minute. "You're my brother and I'd die for you but there are some things I need to keep to myself." Dean nodded after a moment and Sam glanced out the window. Dean was focusing on the road so he didn't notice Sam pale slightly, glancing at something that no one else could see. Callie did though and reached up to squeeze his hand lightly, smiling at him reassuringly when he glanced at her. After a short hesitation he smiled back and they left Toledo far behind them.


	22. Skin::01

_She was standing in the diner, Juliet just a few feet away turning back to smile at her. That was when the crack came. She lunged, throwing herself toward her little sister as Juliet's body jerked once and went still, already crumpling toward the ground when the second bullet struck Callie in the shoulder._

She woke with a gasp, jerking upright as the car stopped. Her shoulder throbbed with the phantom pain of being shot again and she rubbed it. "Alright," she heard Dean say. "I figure we'd hit Tucumcari by lunch, then head south, hit Bisbee by midnight." There was a pause while he waited for a response. Callie yawned widely and felt her eyes drifting shut. Since the incident with Bloody Mary where she had been dragged back to the hospital she hadn't been sleeping well and she was exhausted. "Sam wears women's underwear." Callie snorted at that and leaned her head against the window.

"I've been listening," Sam said, sounding exasperated. "I'm just busy."

"Busy doing what?" Dean returned skeptically.

"Reading e-mails," Sam said mildly.

"E-mails from who?"

"From my friends at Stanford."

"You're kidding," Dean said, sounding shocked. "You still keep in touch with your college buddies?"

"Why not?" Sam challenged, still in that mild tone. Callie squirmed slightly in the seat, sensing a coming argument.

"What exactly do you tell them?" Dean asked. "You know, about where you are and what you're doing?"

"I tell them I'm on a road trip with my big brother. I tell them I needed some time off after Jess," Sam said, his mild tone now laced with annoyance.

"Oh," Dean said, his voice a strange mixture of annoyance and surprise. "So you lie to them." Callie sat up then, shoving the door open wide. The Winchester brothers both turned to look at her. "Where are you going?" Dean asked.

"Look," Callie said tiredly. "You two can argue all you want but I'm leaving. Someone can come get me when you're done. Or not." Then she slammed the door and walked off down the highway. She was sick and tired of the pair of them arguing constantly. Yeah they had problems but they were big boys. They could _get over it_.

Her shoes smacked against the warm pavement but that was the only sound for miles. It was downright peaceful. That had Callie worried. Her world was not peaceful; not a series of cookie cutter houses and normal high school experiences. Rather it was a series of nightmares and this felt suspiciously like the calm before the storm. But what storm?

_Hunter, _her mind answered. Hunter was a so called freak like her but there was one difference. His strength was the main enhancement whereas her's was her resilience to drugs and injuries. That meant she was outmatched if he decided to come after her. The one advantage she had over him was a secret she had yet to tell the Winchester brothers. In fact she had left it out of her summary of her capture and escape during the Bloody Mary incident. Hunter was in love with her, or at least part of him was.

Whatever drug they had given Hunter made him go through mood swings worse than a girl during her time of the month. One minute he was perfectly fine to be around. He joked, laughed, and was just an all around nice guy. The next minute he was psychotic. Everything set him off and his one desire was to see blood. Callie had loved him once, before the drugs had brought out the sadistic blood loving side of him. Now she was terrified to love again and the current situation only made matters worse.

She was maybe, sort of falling in love with Dean Winchester. When she wasn't tempted to hit him. Forget ever telling him though. After Hunter she wasn't admitting to anyone ever again that she loved them. She'd just be hurt again.

Her relation with Dean's younger brother, Sam, was simpler. Sam was like a brother to her. She understood, in a way, how he felt about Jess's death and he was easier to talk to than his brother. With Sam she didn't feel like she was at risk of tripping over her own tongue or going to flush embarrassingly at any moment.

The sound of a car slowing behind her caught her attention, shaking her out of her thoughts. "Well," Dean said, leaning out of the car window. "Are you walking all the way to St. Louis?"

"Are you and your brother arguing all the way to St. Louis?" Callie returned.

"He'll have his ancient music playing so loud you won't be able to hear yourself think all the way to St. Louis," Sam said and Callie grinned at him. "But the arguing's done."

"Fine," Callie said, heading back for the car door. "I'm coming."

* * *

_So just so you're warned right now Skin is looking to be a longer set of chapters than the last few and things with Callie are going to get a little more complicated. Questions? Comments? Let me know what you think!_


	23. Skin::02

_Thanks to _tigereyekum _for reviewing the last chapter (Glad that part is satisfactory!)! Now onward we go_

* * *

They arrived at Sam's friend Rebecca's current residence at midafternoon. Dean parked the car and they followed Sam to the door. Sam knocked and a moment later a pretty blonde answered. "Oh my God," she exclaimed, her wary face lighting up. "Sam!" She hugged him, her face showing pure relief.

"Well if it isn't little Becky," Sam returned, hugging her back and then pulling away with a smile.

"You know what you can do with that little Becky crap," Rebecca said with a mock frown.

"I got your email," Sam told her in a more serious tone.

"I didn't think you would come here," Becky admitting before noticing Dean and Callie. "Who are these two?"

"Dean," Sam's brother said, stepping forward and offering his hand. "I'm the older brother."

"Callie," Callie added, offering her hand after Dean's. "I'm a family friend." Rebecca smiled cheerfully and shook the offered hand. Her first impression of Rebecca was positive. If Zack was anything like his sister then it was highly unlikely that he had actually killed anyone.

"We're here to help," Sam told Rebecca. "Whatever we can do."

"Come on in," Rebecca said motioning them.

"Nice place," Dean commented, glancing around.

"It's my parents house," Rebecca replied with a shrug. "I was just crashing here for the long weekend when everything happened. I decided to take the semester off. I'm going to stay until Zack's free."

"Where are you folks?" Sam asked as Rebecca led them into a kitchen.

"They live in Paris for half the year so they're just now heading back for the trial," Rebecca informed them. "Do you guys want a beer or something?"

"No thanks," Sam said with a headshake of denial. "So tell us what happened."

Rebecca's cheerful expression began to fade but she took a deep breath to compose herself before beginning. "Well, um, Zack came home and found his girlfriend Emily tied to a chair." Then she suddenly began to cry. "So he called 911 and the police- they showed up and they arrested him. But, the thing is, the only way that Zack could have killed Emily was if he was in two places at once. The police-they have a video. It's from the security tape across the street and it shows Zack coming home at ten thirty. Emily was killed just after that but I swear he was here having a few beers with me until just after midnight." She swiped tears off her face but they just kept coming.

"Maybe we could see the crime scene," Sam suggested.

"We could," Dean said decisively.

"Why?" Rebecca asked, almost sounding as if she didn't dare hope for a good answer. "I mean what could you do?"

"Well, me, not much," Sam replied, giving a self depreciating laugh. "But Dean's a cop."

"Detective actually," Dean said and Callie resisted the twin urges to smack herself in the forehead and smack him.

"Really?" Rebecca asked almost skeptically.

"Yeah," Callie cut in with a decisive nod. "He works with my Dad down in Arizona."

"Where at?" Rebecca asked, curious and hopeful now instead of suspicious.

"Bisbee, Arizona," Dean said. "But I'm off duty right now."

"You guys," Rebecca said, her eyes welling with fresh tears. "It's so nice to offer but I just, I don't know."

"Bec, look," Sam said gently. "I know Zack didn't do this. Now we just have to find a way to prove he's innocent."

"Okay," Rebecca said, taking a steadying breath. "I'm gonna go get the keys." She turned and left the room, still wiping away tears.

"Oh yeah man," Dean said with a sarcastic laugh. "You're a real straight shooter with your friends."

"Look," Sam said with forced patience. "Zack and Becky need our help."

"I just don't think this is our kind of problem," Dean protested.

"Two places at once?" Sam said, arching an eyebrow. "We've looked into less."

"Sam-" Dean began but Callie gave in this time and smacked him on the back of the head.

"Be nice," she scolded and heard a watery giggle. Rebecca was standing in the doorway with a weak smile.

"I have the keys," she said, holding them up. They followed her out the door and all the way to Zack's house. "You're sure this is okay?" she asked Dean nervously as they walked toward the house.

"Yeah," Dean replied calmly. "I am an officer of the law." That was when Callie's phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out, glancing at the number. A long string of complicated digits that meant only one person. Hunter.

"Excuse me a minute," she said with a tight smile and walked back toward the street, flipping the phone open. "What do you want?" she snapped as an answer.

"You're playing with things that are too big for you right now," came the response.

"In your opinion everything is too big for me," Callie retorted. "I'm a big girl Hunter. I can take care of myself."

"Not with this," Hunter said coldly. "You'll just get yourself and your two friends killed. This one could rip you apart without even trying."

"But not you," Callie said, rolling her eyes and grinding her teeth in frustration. "Look Hunter. I know you're trying to be helpful and all but all you're accomplishing is making me want to punch you." A low laugh answered her on the other end of the connection.

"At least it's some reaction darling," he drawled. Then his tone turned more serious. "Look Cal, all I can say is that if you poke too many angry bears with sticks you're going to get hurt. And this is one angry bear that you can't beat." Then he hung up. At the same time a hand landed on her shoulder, making her jump. She turned and looked up at Sam.

"We're going back to Becky's to review the tape," he told her. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," Callie said, managing a shaky smile. In reality she was dying inside. For a moment there Hunter had sounded like the boy she had fallen in love with once and it was killing her inside.


	24. Skin::03

Nightfall found them sitting in Becky's living room watching the security footage. "Here he comes," Rebecca said and a young man, Callie guessed it was Zack, walked into view.

"22:04," Dean said, reading the timestamp on the tape. "That's just after ten. You said the time of death was about ten thirty."

"Our lawyers hired some kind of video expert," Rebecca said in response to the unasked question. "He says the tape's authentic. It wasn't tampered with." Callie noticed Sam tense slightly, eyes fixed on the tape.

"Hey Bec can we take those beers now?" Sam asked, sounding almost strained.

"Oh," Rebecca said, sounding almost lost for a moment. "Sure."

"Hey," Sam said, calling after her. She paused and turned back. "Maybe some sandwiches too?"

"What do you think this is?" she said, rolling her eyes almost cheerfully. "Hooters?" She missed Dean's muttered comment, turning to Callie. "What about you?"

"Nothing for me," Callie said with a tired smile. The conversation with Hunter had her too worried and confused to eat. Rebecca nodded and headed into the kitchen.

"What is it?" Dean and Callie asked Sam as soon as she was gone.

"Check this out," Sam said, rewinding the tape and replaying what they had just been shown. He paused at one point and they both saw that Zack's eyes were glowing silver.

"Well, maybe it's just camera flare," Dean said.

"Son of a-" Callie hissed at the same time, glaring at the camera. "Hunter you bastard."

"What?" both boys asked but Callie was already standing and storming out of the room, cell phone in hand.

"I'll be back in a moment," Callie told Becky as she walked past the confused woman. "I need to make a phone call."

"Okay," Becky replied, still looking rather confused. "Are you sure I can't get you anything."

"Yes," Callie said, forcing a smile. "Thank you." Then she walked out of the house to stand on the steps, phone in hand. She dialed the number from earlier. Hunter answered on the second ring. "I suppose you weren't going to tell me you were witness to murder," she snarled the instant she heard a click.

"Why should I?" came the harsh reply. "Why should I tell you anything?"

"Because I loved you," Callie forced out. "Once. Before they destroyed you and left me with this monster." There was a long silence as she fought down sudden tears.

"Look," Hunter said after a moment with a sigh. "This whole thing, it's complicated."

"Well then uncomplicated it," Callie returned, felling her irritation rise up again. Only Hunter could make her feel this way, angry and hurt and abandoned all at the same time.

"I can't," Hunter snarled. There was a long pause where she could hear suddenly labored breathing on the other end of the line as he struggled to control his anger. "I really hate you sometimes. You know that?"

"The feeling's mutual," Callie replied coldly. "Now spill."

"_No_." The answer was cold and definite. Callie growled. "I'm not telling you anything," Hunter snarled. "If you want to walk willingly to your death I'll let you. After all it isn't as if you've ever cared about what I think anyway." Then there was a click as Hunter hung up. Callie stood there, gasping as she struggled to hold in tears. She sank down heavily on the front step, allowing the phone to drop from numb fingers to the concrete below, and buried her head against her knees.

"Why?" she mumbled, forcing down tears. She took a few calming breaths and then stood, wiping away tears. Another calming breath and then she turned and walked back into the house.

"Oh my gosh," Becky said as soon as she entered. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Callie replied. "It's just been a long day."

"Do you want a place to rest for a bit?" Becky asked. "The boys are still watching the tape and there's a spare bedroom upstairs you can use."

"That would be great," Callie said, actually managing to give Becky a genuine smile.

"Follow me then," Becky said. She led Callie down a hall into another room. "I'll wake you when they're done," Becky reassured the other girl and then left her alone. Callie was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

_She was fifteen and standing in the middle of a massive gymnasium. The boy standing on the other side was about a year older than her with sandy blond hair. His expression was cold enough that he had the other few around her cringing back and the few on his team smirking confidently. Callie just met his eyes levelly, not at all intimidated._

_The so called hospital liked to pit them against each other, measuring strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes they "culled someone from the herd" because whoever it was, was "too weak" or "useless." This was a simple practice battle but they didn't mean any of them were safe so adrenalin was running high when the signal was given. Callie and the blond boy clashed within seconds. He was stronger than she was but nimble enough to twist around and out of his grip._

_They fought for what felt like hours, sweat running down Callie's back. Her hair was coming loose from its braid and sticking to her face. Finally, finally, he pinned her shoulders to the floor. Everyone else was done, the room was completely silent. "Game over," the boy said coldly, his eyes emotionless._

_"End," one of the scientists called from the balcony above them. The boy released her slowly standing up._

_"You lose," he said, eyes suddenly bright with mocking._

_"Sure sweetheart," she replied, kissing him lightly on the nose._

_That was when Hunter said something that had never been said in that actual conversation. "Wake up!"_

Fifteen minutes later Callie found herself sitting in the back of the Impala at the scene of the crime. "Alright," Dean said after a moment of silence, sounding exasperated. "So what are we doing here at five thirty in the morning?"

"I realized something," Sam replied. "The video shows the killer coming in but not going out." He was climbing out of the car while he was talking and Dean followed with a sigh, leaning against the hood of the car.

"So," he drawled slowly. "He came out the back door."

"Right," Sam confirmed with a decisive nod. "So there should be a trail to follow. A trail the police would never pursue."

"Great," Callie moaned, leaning her head back against the seat. "More breaking and entering. Leave me out of it."

"I still don't know what we're doing here at five thirty in the morning," Dean said, ignoring her. Sam glanced around as if searching for anyone listening. Then his gaze locked in on something.

"Blood," he said softly. "Somebody came this way." Callie actually consented to get out of the car then, driven by sheer curiosity.

"Yeah," Dean said with a tone of forced patience. "But the trail ends. I don't see anything around here." The scream of ambulance sirens made Callie jump as it sped by them. Without saying so much as a word the three followed the ambulance.

The vehicle stopped in front of a house. Crowds of people gathered around, watching as an Asian man was led out in handcuffs. "What happened?" Dean asked the woman standing next to him.

"He tried to kill his wife," she replied, sounding rather dazed. "Tied her up and beat her."

"Really?" Sam asked as Callie narrowed her eyes at the Asian man. The woman was saying he had tried to kill his wife but there wasn't a drop of blood on him.

"I used to see him going to work in the morning," the woman continued. "He'd wave, say hello. He seemed like such a nice guy." The all walked as the cop car drove away. Then called reached up and tugged on Sam's jacket, knowing he'd be more likely to listen first and ask questions later than Dean would. When he glanced over at her she stood on tiptoe so she could whisper in his ear.

"There wasn't any blood on him."


	25. Skin::04

Author's Note: So I actually have Skin completely typed up! *Does a little happy dance* Thanks to _Chichi4mangaHero_ for reviewing the last chapter!

* * *

They waited until the sun rose before poking around behind the Asian man's house. There was nothing in the trash cans and no sign that anyone had been killed anywhere besides a few smears of blood. "Hey," Dean called and they both turned to glance at each other. "Remember when I said this wasn't our kind of problem?"

"Yeah," Sam said warily.

"Definitely our kind of problem."

"What'd you find out?" Sam asked, shooting a mystified glance at Callie. She shrugged in response. She had nod idea what had changed Dean's mind.

"Well I just talked to the patrolman who was first on the scene," Dean answered. "Heard this guy, Alex's story. Apparently the dude was driving home from a business trip when his wife was attacked."

"So he was in two places at once," Sam said.

"Exactly," Dean replied. "Then he seems himself in the house. Police think he's a nutjob."

"Of course," Callie muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Two dark doubles attacking loved ones in exactly the same way," Sam said in that contemplative tone that meant he was thinking something over.

"Could be the same thing doing it too," Dean said.

"Shapeshifter?" Sam asked, glancing at his brother. Dean shrugged. "Something that can make itself look like anyone."

"Every culture has shapeshifter lore," Dean said. "You know, legends of creatures who can transform themselves into animals or other men."

"Right," Sam said. "Skinwalkers, werewolves."

"We've got two attacks within blocks of each other. I'm guessing we've got a shapeshifting prowling the neighborhood."

"Gee, really?" Callie asked sarcastically and Dean glared at her. Sam snapped his fingers, getting his brother's attention.

"Let me ask you this," he said, obviously trying to distract Dean. "In all this shapeshifter lore, can any of them fly?" The distraction worked. Dean looked gobsmacked.

"Not that I know of," Callie said and Dean nodded in agreement.

"Callie and I picked up a trail here," Sam continued, motioning to where they had found the blood. "Someone headed out the back of this building and headed off this way."

"Just like your friend's house," Dean said, his face creased in thought.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "And just like at Zack's house the trail suddenly ends. I mean whatever it is just disappeared."

"That's not possible, right?" Callie asked. "I mean if we were talking about some kind of spirit, sure, but a shapeshifter?"

"You don't happen to know anyone who can teleport do you?" Dean asked, glancing around the area.

"No," Callie admitted. "They tried to alter someone like that at the lab but it didn't work. I mean the guy teleported his upper half but he left his lower half behind. He bled out before they could find the rest of him."

"Yikes," Sam said and Callie nodded in agreement.

"Well there's another way to go besides teleportation," Dean spoke up suddenly, glancing at the ground. "Down." Callie and Sam both looked down to see the manhole cover.

"Great," Callie complained but she helped Dean lift it up and place it to one side. They clambered down the ladder, Dean in the lead with Sam and Callie right behind him. "This is gross," Callie mumbled and Dean laughed. Sam ignored her.

"I bet this runs right by Zack's house too," Sam said. "The shapeshifter could be using the sewer system to get around."

"Well no duh," Callie grumbled. "Somebody give the boy a hand." The argument with Hunter the night before combined with the early wakeup call and the general disgusting smell of the sewer was not making her temper anything favorable.

"Well aren't you little miss sunshine," Dean scoffed. Then he turned to his brother. "I think you're right. Look at this." Callie glanced at the pile of blood and skin and gagged. Her knees buckled and she tumbled down as Sam walked over to investigate.

"Is this from his victims?" she heard Sam say as if he were far, far away. She gagged again, her vision blurring. She could smell blood now, copper and pain mixed with the scent of raw sewage.

"You know, I just had a sick thought," Dean replied. "When the shapeshifter changes shape maybe it sheds."

"That is sick," she heard Sam reply but her head was spinning. The world swirled around her and for a moment she saw the hospital with its neat white beds instead of the sewer. That was when everything turned black and she passed out.

_She was sixteen and walking into the hospital room on the way to see her only female friend here, Macy, when she smelled it. Copper and burnt flesh. Callie turned her head and then gagged at the sight before her. It was a little girl, maybe five years of age, lying on a hospital bed. Most of her skin had been burnt away to reveal muscle and bone weeping blood everywhere. A young nurse was bandaging the girl up as much as possible. _

_"Wha-what happened?" Callie stammered, fighting not to gag again._

_"An accident. She set off one of the boys in her set who has a gift with fire," a male voice behind her said. "We didn't bother to stop it. It was an interesting demonstration of skill and the girl was going to be terminated anyway. Now she'll pass on in a couple days."_

_"That's horrible," Callie protested. "Letting her linger in pain like that."_

_"Then you finish her off," the doctor replied with a shrug. "Either way it doesn't matter to me." Then he turned and left, motioning for the nurse to follow him. That left Callie alone with the girl. _

_Callie was trembling visibly as she made her way to the bed and looked down upon the girl. "I-I can't do it," she whimpered. _

Finish it_, came the silent reply in her mind. The little girl. Callie nodded shakily and swallowed hard. Then she put her hands around the girls next, slick with blood and crackly with burnt flesh, and squeezed. The little girl died smiling but she would haunt Callie forever._


	26. Skin::05

_So this chapter is, among other things, an explanation of what really happened to Hunter. Thanks to _Nette Black Salvatore_ who reviewed the last chapter! I own nothing of Supernatural that you recognize._

* * *

Callie came to slowly, her head aching. "Are you okay?" a voice asked. _Dean_. She breathed out a sigh. She wasn't ready to deal with him. Not now when she was already so emotional. She shook her head and curled up tighter, struggling to force down the waves of nausea that assaulted her. "Do you want to talk about it?" Another head shake. She heard Dean sigh but didn't move. "Fine. You don't have to talk but sometime you have to tell someone what keeps freaking you out." There was another pause as if he were waiting for a response. Callie didn't say anything, just focused on breathing. "Sam and I are going into the sewer to look for our shapeshifter. If we're gone for a couple favors do us a favor and come look for us, okay?" Callie nodded.

There was another long pause and then she felt something tossed over her. Dean stood them and left, slamming the car door behind him. Callie cringed at the sound and squeezed her eyes tighter shut. She wanted to forget. She wanted to wake up and have everything erased so she didn't have to deal with Hunter or Juliet's memory or random flashbacks or people hunting her. She let out a long shaky breath and focused on clearing her mind. Slowly everything swirled away and her mind calmed.

Callie opened her eyes and sat up slowly, Dean's jacket sliding off her. She scooped it up and, after a moment's hesitation, slipped it on. Then she stepped out of the car, slamming the door shut behind her. The sky was dark as pitch and she wasn't sure how much time had passed. Enough time to worry about Sam and Dean? She didn't think so. Not yet. Instead she walked across the street to crouch in the shadows. She waited.

She saw Sam and Dean return fifteen minutes later and was about to stand and join them when something yanked her back, covering her mouth. "No," a voice hissed in her ear. "Stay here." Callie bit down hard, furious.

"Hunter?" she hissed and heard him sigh softly in exasperation.

"Was that really necessary?" he hissed.

"Yes," she replied immediately. "What do you want?"

"Just watch," he replied tiredly. Callie turned back to the scene before her in time to see Dean hit Sam twice with a crowbar, his eyes flashing silver. Hunter's hand over her mouth stopped and scream. The shapeshifter swung Sam over his shoulder and faded back into the shadows. "Listen to me," Hunter hissed urgently in her ear. "I know you hate me and I don't blame you. If I were you I'd hate me too."

"Glad we got that cleared up," Callie said when he removed his hand from her mouth.

"Listen," Hunter hissed again. "They gave me some kind of drug that makes me angry and controllable for them. It worked for a while and then it started wearing down again and not working so well. That was about the time I let you go. I've tried to get off the drug since then but I'm too addicted to it. It will kill me if I'm off it and they're going to kill me anyway since they can't control me so I might as well go out helping you."

"Why?" Callie asked, her voice barely a whisper and tears welling in her eyes. If only she had known. Maybe she could have stopped this.

"Because I love you," he said. "And you deserve happiness. You can't love me anymore because I've hurt you too much but you love _him_, the one whose jacket you're wearing. And since I'll be gone soon I'd like to know that you're being protected at least. "

"Thank you," Callie said, overwhelmed. She spun and hugged Hunter as hard as she could. He hugged her back the same way he always had, as if she were spun glass that was going to break at any second. "And part of me will always love you," she whispered in his ear, standing on tiptoe so she was tall enough to do so.

"I know," Hunter replied. "But I'm no good for you and we both know it." There was a pause before they released each other. Then he said, "Are you doing being all emotional and girly so we can go kick that shapeshifter's butt."

"Sure," Callie replied with a wicked grin. "Lead the way."

They made their way down into the sewer system. "First thing's first," Hunter said. "We track down this bastard and then find your friends."

"When did you become so darn moral on me," Callie teased. Hunter smirked and was just about to reply when they both heard it. Footsteps.

The shapeshifter was running so fast he all but flew by them in Dean's skin. Hunter swore but Callie didn't waste the air it took to curse. Instead she bolted after it. She could hear Hunter behind her but he wasn't as fast she was. Callie wasn't worried. He'd catch up. The only problem with chasing the shapeshifter was that he knew the sewers so much better than she did. He finally lost her and she stopped, gasping for breath. Hunter almost slammed into her from behind. He jerked to a stop only to be slammed into from behind. They went crashing to the ground with a cussing Dean Winchester on top of them.

Callie twisted and saw a worried smile on Sam's face. "Get these jerks off of me," she grumbled at him and saw his grin widen a little further. He pulled Dean off of them and Hunter scrambled to his feet.

"The shapeshifter is going after Rebecca," Sam told them.

"Come on then," Hunter hissed and turned, bolting down a tunnel. Callie shot after him, catching up easily. She could hear Sam and Dean racing behind them but there was no time to pause. They needed to stop the shapeshifter before it was too late. They all emerged from the sewer in front of Rebecca's house. "It's probably already in," Hunter said grimly and Callie nodded.

"We've got to find a phone," Sam gasped out. "Call the police."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dean said between gasps for breath. "You're gonna put an APB out on me."

"Tough," Callie said grimly.

"Sorry," Sam apologized, taking the cell phone Callie had pulled from her pocket.

"You guys call the police," Hunter ordered. "Callie and I will see if we can stop murder." Then without looking back he headed for the door with Callie on his heels. He had the lock picked in six seconds flat and then crept inside in time to hear Rebecca scream. They both winced and headed for the stairs. Police sirens screamed down the street as they methodically searched the rooms. Rebecca had screamed for a few moments but now she was dangerously silent. They needed to hurry or she'd be dead.

Callie glanced at Hunter and after a moment he nodded reluctantly. She kicked open a door to a room they'd already searched and then let out an ear piercing screech. They'd stayed silent then until they heard footsteps. The shapeshifter came around the corner on Callie's side, covered partially in Rebecca's blood. Callie did the first thing that came to mind and tackled him.

They slammed to the floor and he kicked her off, darting down the hall back toward Rebecca. "He had a knife," Callie gasped out, winded, and Hunter cursed, taking off after him. Callie scrambled to her feet and tore after him. They all heard the police at the same time. Callie and Hunter froze, going completely silent. The shapeshifter did for a moment and then headed for Rebecca again, his footsteps drawing the attention of the police. Callie and Hunter exchanged furious glances and headed for the window.

They landed, unharmed, on the roof above the balcony and then dropped down to the ground. "Hey," Callie heard Sam whisper from the bushes and she tugged Hunter in that direction. They sulked around in the shadows for an hour, taking turns dozing, until they were sure it was safe.

"We have to find a TV," Callie mumbled sleepily. Her eyes felt full of sand and her eyelids were heavy. "Find out what's going on."

They ended up in front of a store front with several televisions displayed and on. "An anonymous tip led police to a home in the Central West End where a S.W.A.T. team discovered a local woman bound and gagged. Her attacker, a white male, approximately twenty-four to thirty years of age, was discovered hiding in her home," the news anchor announced.

"Man, that's not even a good picture," Dean complained and Callie yawned heavily wobbling slightly on her feet.

"It's good enough," Sam said grimly and Callie had to agree.

"Man," Dean grumbled again, taking off after his brother. Callie sighed and followed after them with Hunter at her side.

"Come on," Sam mumbled. He paused then and looked over his shoulder at his brother. "They said attempted murder. At least we know-"

"I didn't kill her," Dean finished.

"We'll check with Rebecca in the morning," Sam said with a sigh. "See if she's all right."

"She probably won't"-Callie paused and yawned- "want to see you guys after tonight."

"I don't care what we do as long as the first priority is finding that handsome devil so I can kick the holy crap out of him," Dean grumbled and Callie snickered, wobbling on her feet again. She needed either sleep or coffee and she wasn't likely to get either.

"We have no weapons," Sam pointed out patiently as Hunter stabilized Callie. "No silver bullets."

"Sam, the guys walking around with my face, okay?" Dean asked, sounding annoyed. "It's a little personal. I wanna find him."

"Okay," Sam said, still patient. "Where do we look?"

"Well we could start with the sewers," Dean suggested.

"We have no weapons," Sam said again. "He stole our guns. We need more." He paused to think. "The car?"

"I'm betting he drove over to Rebecca's house," Dean said with a nod.

"The news said he fled on foot," Sam continued. "I bet it's still parked there."

"The thought of him driving my car," Dean whined and Callie smirked tiredly.

"All right," Sam said, sound just a little bit away from being exasperated. "Come on."

"It's killing me," Dean whined as Sam started walking.

"Let it go," his younger brother called back over his shoulder.

"Do you want me to carry you?" Hunter asked Callie as Dean trailed after his younger brother.

"If you wouldn't mind," Callie mumbled, leaning on him heavily.

"Climb on," he said simply, allowing Callie to clamber on to his back. "Why are you so tired anyway?"

"Passed out after seeing the skin in blood. The little girl, you know," she mumbled against his shoulder.

"Yeah," Hunter replied heavily. "I know. Sleep. I'll wake you when you're needed."

"M'kay," Callie replied and let her eyes drift closed. Mercifully she didn't dream.


	27. Skin::06

_Last chapter of Skin! Thanks to _Nette Black Salvatore_ and _tigereyekum_ (Yup. The real question is whether he'll ever find out) for reviewing the last chapter! I own nothing of Supernatural you recognize_

* * *

Hunter shook Callie awake just as the sun was setting. "Wha-" she mumbled and then reality came crashing down. "What's going on?" she asked urgently.

"Dean went into the sewers alone," Hunter hissed. "I'm going after him. Sam's in Rebecca's. Keep an eye out for anything strange."

"Got it," Callie mumbled, already on high alert. Hunter nodded and darted into the shadows. Callie watched him go for a moment and then turned back to the street. That was when she heard the crash. She spun around and cursed silently. Something was wrong and she wasn't as good with locks as Hunter. She tried the door handle, praying that it was unlocked. It wasn't. Now she had to search for the key.

Each second wasted searching made her heart pound worse and worse. Finally she found it and unlocked the door scrambling inside and leaving it wide open. She heard something shatter and then the shapeshifter say, "Even when we were kids I kicked your ass." There was another bang and then the sound of something breaking. Callie flew around the corner and tackled the shapeshifter off of Sam. They crashed to the floor and the shapeshifter snarled. "Don't you ever learn?" it hissed at her, tossing her hard off of him.

"Never," she hissed, landing on her feet and ducking a swipe. The second came faster than she could dodge. That would have been fine if she was Hunter but she wasn't so she went flying back into Sam. The shapeshifter lunged at them in a blur as they crashed to the floor and was grabbed by the collar.

"Not so fast," Hunter sneered, tossing the shapeshifter into the other way. It snarled again and lunged to its feet as Callie scrambled to hers. She was going to be too late to stop it though and so was Hunter. He knew so. Instead of trying to even stop the shapeshifter he turned his head and smiled at Callie. _Love you_, he mouthed as the shapeshifter slammed into him. They crashed into the back wall and Callie heard Hunter's neck crack. She let out a cry and stumbled to her feet as the shapeshifter lunged to his, a triumphant grin on his face. That was when Dean shot him.

Two silver bullets slammed into the shapeshifter and it tumbled to the floor. "Sam!" Rebecca called, racing over to the younger Winchester. Callie stumbled her way over to Hunter's body then and cradled his head in her arms. His eyes were dull, void of life, and the vision before her blurred with tears.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "So, so sorry." Then she kissed him lightly on the forehead and left him on the ground, stumbling slowly to her feet.

"You'd better go," Rebecca told them. "Before the cops get here." Dean nodded.

"Make sure Sam gets checked out by the paramedics?" he asked.

"Promise," Rebecca replied and then watched as Callie and Dean left. They sat in silence in the shadows until the police and paramedics left.

The next morning they had everything packed back in the Impala. Dean and Callie were waiting there while Sam spoke to Rebecca. They hugged once and then Sam slipped into the car. "So what about your friend Zack?" Dean asked.

"Cops are blaming this Dean Winchester guy for Emily's murder," Sam replied with a smirk. "They found the murder weapon in this guy's lair with Zack's clothes stained with her blood. Now they're thinking maybe the surveillance camera was tampered with. Becky says Zack will be released soon." Dean rolled his eyes and started driving. "So Hunter, huh?" Sam asked after a moment of silence.

"Yeah," Callie said with a sigh.

"What?" Dean asked curiously.

"It would have been nice if he ever would have fit any of my perceptions of him, ever," Callie replied with a sad smile. "Because he manages to puzzle me even when he's dead."

There was another long silence and then Dean glanced at Sam saying, "Sorry man."

"About what?" Sam asked, sounding genuinely mystified.

"I really wish things could be different, you know? I wish you could just be"-Dean paused for a moment- "Joe College."

"No," Sam replied. "That's okay. You know, the truth is, even at Stanford, deep down I never really fit in."

"Well that's cause you're a freak," Dean blithely informed his younger brother.

"Yeah, thanks," Sam replied, dryly.

"Well I'm a freak too," Dean said with a smirk. "I'm right there with you man, all the way."

"Yeah, I know you are," Sam replied with a laugh.

"You know," Dean continued. "I gotta say I'm sorry I'm gonna miss it."

"Miss what?" Sam asked warily.

"How many chances am I going to have to see my own funeral?" Dean replied and Sam smiled. Callie snorted and rolled her eyes, leaning against the car window. Life was officially back to normal. Or as normal as it ever got.


	28. Hookman::01

The outdoor cafe was full of customers for a chilly March day. Callie tapped her fingers against the table top, flat out ignoring Dean who was typing on a computer. Sam was on a nearby payphone, his coffee cooling. Callie wrapped her fingers around her cup of hot chocolate and heard Sam say, "Alright. Thank you for your time."

"Your, uh, half-caf, double vanilla latte is getting cold over here Francis," Dean said. Callie snorted, almost choking on her hot chocolate.

"Bite me," Sam replied. This time Callie did actually choke on her hot chocolate that time and had to wipe the spray off the table. She choked for a couple minutes and Sam patted her on the back, sending her an apologetic look.

"So," Dean drawled when Callie could finally breathe again without choking or laughing. "Anything?" Callie winced slightly at the question. She, like Dean, had known the instant Sam sat down that there was no news but _she_ hadn't felt the need to point that out.

"I had them check the FBI's missing persons data bank. No John Doe's fitting Dad's description," Sam said with a sigh, not even bothering to pick up his coffee. "I even ran his plates for traffic violations."

"Sam, I'm telling you I don't think Dad wants to be find," Dean said, sounding almost annoyed at his younger brother's persistence. Callie kicked him under the table hard enough to bruise and he glared at her but he also took the hint and changed the subject. "Check this out. It's a news item out of the Planes Courier. Akeny, Iowa. It's only about a hundred miles from here."

Sam turned the computer toward him and began to read. "The mutilated body was found near the victim's car, parked on 9 Mile Road."

"Keep reading," Dean encouraged and Callie leaned in so she could hear Sam's lowered voice.

"Authorities are unable to provide a realistic description of the killer. The sole eyewitness, whose name has been withheld, is quoted saying the attacker was invisible," Sam finished and then shot his older brother a skeptical look.

"Could be something interesting," Dean said.

"Or it could be nothing at all," Sam returned dryly. "One freaked out witness who didn't see anything? Doesn't mean it's the Invisible Man." Callie twisted in her seat slightly, feeling almost hopeful. It hadn't been that long since her one time boyfriend Hunter had died for her and now the only time she felt alive was when she was actually _doing_ _something_. Constant activity had been the only way she was keeping her sanity so this forced inactivity was driving her crazy.

"But what if it is?" Dean prodded, obviously eager to be doing something as well. "Dad would check it out."

Sam still looked hesitant. _"Please_," Callie pleaded and he sighed.

"Fine," he relented. "Let's go." Callie breathed out a soft sigh of relief as they headed for the Impala. The drive to Iowa would have been completely silent if not for Dean's music. Callie was fine with that. Recently every time she closed her eyes she saw Hunter and every morning she woke up feeling less and less like talking. They stopped outside the fraternity where the dead boy had lived.

"One more time, why are we here?" Sam asked, sounding frustrated. Callie would have felt sorry for him had she not shut her emotions off to deal with her most recent dream.

"Victim lived here," Dean said in his typical fashion when he had to explain himself. They all stepped out of the Impala. Curious heads turned toward them and a couple guys whistled at her. Callie realized she was getting worse and worse at shutting off her emotions as time passed because the annoyance was still there. Maybe it was some residual effect of the last time she had shut off her emotions and been drugged or maybe it was something they had done in the lab. Regardless of the reason Callie let the annoyance flow and flipped them off.

"Don't be that way baby," one of the boys called and Callie gritted her teeth. "We're just being friendly."

"Well be friendly with someone else," Sam said, coming to her rescue by wrapping and arm around her shoulder and glaring at the guys.

"_Anyway_," Dean said loudly, catching the attention of everyone in the vicinity. "We're your fraternity brothers. You know, the transfers from Ohio. I'm Aaron and this is my brother Peter. The lovely lady here is our cousin Anita and she already has a boyfriend so you can leave 'er alone. My brother and I are looking for some place to stay."

"There's Rich's old room," one of the guys spoke up. "He died a couple days ago so it's still vacant." The guy gave Dean directions and they headed inside. The guy inside the room they had been directed too was in blinding yellow shorts and painting his body dark purple. The combination was enough to make Callie wrinkle up her nose in mock disgust.

"Who're you?" he asked, his tone borderline rude.

"We're your new roommates," Dean said, looking as if he were struggling not to laugh.

"Do me a favor?" the frat boy asked, sounding mildly more friendly. "Get my back. Big game today." Dean passed on the job to a mortified and annoyed Sam while questioning the guy who had the unfortunate problem of being named Murph. The only piece of information Callie absorbed was that Rich had been dating a girl named Lori Sorenson, the local reverend's daughter. Before she knew it they were going to the church.

They entered in the middle of a funeral. If that wasn't cause for bad luck Callie didn't know what was. Maybe not for Sam and Dean but some of her worst memories were funerals. Part of the problem was that most funerals were highly advertised death traps were anyone could come upon you at any time. She eased the door shut behind her and sank into the back row but they still caught some attention as the pastor at the front talked on and on. She sank down in the pew and tried not to fall asleep. She failed.


	29. Hookman::02

_Thanks to _tigereyekum_ (The only thing I can say about that is that Callie wasn't behaving...) for reviewing the last chapter! I own nothing of Supernatural you recognize!_

* * *

It was an old nightmare. The kind that kept showing up at the worst times. That didn't make it any better though; just predictable. It started with Juliet. Her little sister was walking down the aisle of a church. Her hair was perfectly curled, her eyes wide and innocent. Then she started to scream. Blood began pouring from her stomach, staining the dress a bright red. "Juliet!" Callie screamed, running toward her sister just as she crumpled to the floor.

"Your...fault," Juliet choked out just before her eyes turned milky white. Then Callie was falling into them, faster and faster as the white began to blur around her and turn vivid red. The walls around her were black now and there was a pair of red eyes blazing in the wall. The laughter started up and Callie screamed so loud her throat ached but no sound came out.

Callie woke up gasping for breath. The church was empty except for Reverend Sorenson who was shaking her gently. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"Fine," Callie mumbled, shaking off sleep. Dean and Sam had just left her here? _Jerks_. Callie might have been concerned had she had the energy too but the dream had sapped her strength just like it always did. "I'm sorry for falling asleep in here. I didn't mean too. I just haven't slept well since I heard what happened to Rich."

"Yes," the Reverend said. "Terrible isn't it. But he was trying to convince Lori to go all the way with him. Sometimes God has an odd way of judging people." Callie could only nod and try to hide her shock. _This_ was what the reverend thought had happened? Was he nuts?

"Thank you for waking me," Callie managed to get out.

"Not a problem," Reverend Sorenson said and walked away humming. Callie shook her head slightly and stood, heading out of the church. Sam and Dean were waiting for her outside the church.

"Nice job waking me up boys," she drawled as she approached.

"Suck it up princess," Dean replied and Callie flushed slightly at the nickname.

"Library?" she asked Sam because it was easier to talk to him when her emotions were so raw than it was to talk to Dean. Sam nodded in confirmation.

"We were just waiting for you," he said. "I wanted to wake you but Dean said to let you catch up on your sleep."

"I guess I should thank you then," Callie said to Dean, fighting to keep her face blank. It was unresonably difficult and Callie silently cursed herself for getting attached to him. If Dean seemed surprised at her cold tone he didn't show it. Instead he shrugged and headed for the Impala. She turned to see Sam giving her an odd look then. "_What_?" she asked, not at all in the mood for any sort of analysis. Sam looked for a moment as if he were going to say something. Then he visibly changed his mind, shaking his head and turning to follow Dean.

The library was in an old building but had probably been updated years ago. Everything inside was a reminder to Callie that she didn't fit in this kind of setting and probably never would. Hunter would have loved it though. Before the lab had twisted him into a monster he had been the smartest person she knew with dreams of going to med school. That thought hurt so Callie pushed it down. "So you believe Lori?" Dean asked.

"I do," Sam replied.

"Yeah," Dean drawled. "I think she's hot too."

"_Jerk_," Callie muttered and he smirked at her. She fought down another blush, cursing her body for now deciding that she need to feel again.

"No," Sam replied sharply. "There's something in her eyes. And listen to this: she heard scratching on the roof. Found the body suspended upsidown over the car."

"Wait," Dean said, finally taking the whole thing seriously. "Body suspended? That sounds like-"

"Yeah, I know," Sam interrupted. "The Hook Man legend."

"Come again?" Callie asked, arching an eyebrow as she tipped her chair back.

"You don't know," Dean shot back. "It's one of the most famous urban legends ever."

"So, like Bigfoot?" Callie drawled, unable to help herself. Dean just rolled his eyes and Callie felt herself blush again, this time unable to stop it.

"You don't think we're dealing with the Hook Man," Dean said, turning back to Sam.

"Every urban legend has a source," Sam pointed out in a reasonable tone. "A place where it all began."

"Yeah but what about phantom scratches and the tire punctures and the invisible killer?" Dean protested.

"Well maybe the Hook Man isn't a man at all," Sam replied. "Maybe it's some kind of spirit."

"One way to find out," Callie said, standing and walking over to one of the Librarians. "Excuse me ma'am," she said and the woman turned to smile at her.

"How can I help you dear?" she asked gently.

"My friends and I are working on an extra credit project for psychology," Callie lied with a sweet smile. "We're supposed to research an arrested person and try to diagnose them with modern psychology. Could we possibly see the arrest records?"

"Of course honey," the woman said. "Go ahead and sit back down and I'll bring them out to you. It won't take more than a minute."

"Thank you," Callie said and the woman smiled, turning and bustling off. Callie turned then and dropped down in a seat.

"Here you go," the librarian said, coming over a moment later. "Arrest records going back to 1851."

Dean blew some of the dust off the records and then coughed. "Thanks," he said when he could breathe again.

"You're welcome," she replied with a smile and then walked off.

"Am I good or what?" Callie asked with a grin, feeling satisfied with herself.

"Or what," Dean replied without even glancing up.

"Ouch," Callie muttered, trying to convince herself that the comment hadn't really hurt. She didn't succeed. With a sigh she stood up from the table. "All this dust is giving me a headache," she told Sam when he glanced at her. "I'm going out to get some fresh air. I'll be back in a couple minutes." He nodded and Callie headed for the door.

As soon as she got outside she started walking. The ground vanished under her feet and soon she was running, flat out sprinting actually. She tried to run away from the emotions, to leave them behind, but they just kept building instead. She stopped finally because she reached a graveyard. _The graveyard_. Suddenly she recognized the place. This was where Juliet was buried.

It didn't take long to find Juliet's grave. Callie knelt in front of it and brushed the dirt off the inscription. _Juliet Alexandria Colton. May she rest in peace._ That was when the tears started. Callie let them flow, not even trying to hide them. She cried off Hunter's death, she cried off her mother's, she cried off Juliet's, and most of all she cried off a broken heart that hadn't yet begun to heal.


	30. Hookman::03

_Thanks to _tigereyekum_ (He is, isn't he...) for reviewing the last chapter. I own nothing of Supernatural that you recognize. Also I'll try to finish this episode out today because I want to move on to the next one._

* * *

She spent the night in a hotel out of town, paying for it with the credit card registered under Kaitlyn Nottingham. The next day she slept in past noon, dreaming of Juliet. Her little sister danced through her dreams, all golden curls and bright eyes. When she finally woke up she ate breakfast and watched the news only to find out something new. Lori's roommate, Taylor, had been murdered last night. Her brain felt heavy, slow. Taylor's death and the dreams last night bounced around, forming one massive headache. Feeling tension knotting her muscles, Callie paid for her meal and left, heading back for the graveyard.

Callie normally wasn't overly emotional. That had been Juliet's forte. Her little sister had laughed and cried so much in the short time that she lived that Callie had learned how to deal with tears and how to wipe away the pain on her sister's face.

When she finally stopped crying it was dark. Callie wiped the tears impatiently from her cheeks and let out a soft sigh. She felt more relaxed now that she had finally let her emotions flow. That was when she heard the footsteps. They were soft and careful and proceeding them was a thin yellow beam of light from some flashlight. Callie slid behind Juliet's stone, shrinking down in size and peering over it, trying to judge the distance between her and newcomer.

It took less than sixty seconds for her to realize she couldn't tackle whoever it was from her current distance. Hands trembling with adrenalin she crept behind a closer tombstone, taking a moment to calculate the new distance. Still too far away. She thought she could make it a little closer without being seen. She did and then launched herself through the air to slam into the figure.

They crashed to the ground inside a hole, Dean's back smacking into part of an unearthed coffin. Callie felt herself turning red as she scrambled free. Her brain ran wild with excuses as Dean groaned and slowly sat up. "What the hell?" he muttered, glaring at her, and Callie felt herself turn and even darker shade of red.

"Sorry," she mumbled lamely, glancing down at the coffin. "So who's this?"

"You don't know?" Dean said in mock surprise. "Oh right, you were too busy being moody and unhelpful to find out." Callie felt all traces of blush instantly leave her face then. Her jaw clenched so hard she swore she heard teeth crack.

"Where's Sam?" she snapped, glaring at Dean now.

"Watching Lori's house," Dean said almost sullenly. Callie turned on her heel then and stalked off toward the town. "Always Sammy," she heard Dean mutter but ignored him. She was too angry to bother with him anymore.

Sam was sitting outside Lori's house when she arrived. "Hey," he said softly and she nodded at him.

"Hey back," she mumbled.

"Dean still being a jerk?"

"Eh." she shrugged and glanced up at the house. "All quiet?"

"Yeah," Sam replied.

"Ok," Callie replied, letting out a sigh. "I'm going to check around the outside of the house to make sure there's nothing sneaking in. Holler if you need something." She had made it to the back when she heard the screaming.

Callie didn't waste air cussing. Instead she spun and sprinted for the house. The door was gaping wide open and she heard the first gunshot ring our, echoing in the space. "Where are you?" she growled glancing around. Her eyes settled on the stairs just as the second bang echoed through the house followed by the sound of shattering glass. "Dad! Dad!" Callie heard Lori scream, her voice a mixture of terror and relief. She took the stairs two at a time, pausing when she saw Lori kneeling next to her father and Sam standing there with the gun.

"Do me a favor?" Sam asked almost hollowly when he saw her and she nodded. "Go tell Dean." Callie nodded and went back down the stairs two at a time. The instant she was outside she was flat out sprinting, heading for the graveyard. She almost slammed into Dean as he was coming out of it in her haste.

"What is your problem?" he asked impatiently.

"My problem?" Callie shot back with an incredulous bark of laughter. "What's yours? Why didn't you salt and burn our ghost? Are you _trying_ to get your brother and I killed? Or are you just trying to get rid of me?"

"I-" Dean began but Callie was too angry to listen.

"Just shut up," she snapped. "Do me a favor and pick up your brother from the police station when they're done questioning him." Then she turned and stalked off down the road and away from civilization.

Callie's feet crunched on the gravel along the road, pace slowing as her anger faded. She was beginning to feel extremely foolish. She hadn't even let Dean explain himself, just shouted at him like some kind of maniac with a bad case of road rage. He had probably just found the wrong grave and that was why the so called "Hook Man" was still hanging around. The sun began to rise and Callie paused on the road, considering going back, if not to apologize then at least for her things. Sure she could get another ride hitch hiking but it would be a pain in the butt to replace all the stuff she had shoved in her bag.

That was when another thought hit her. _Lori_. Every single attack had been connected to Lori. The first kill was Rich, her boyfriend who, according to Reverend Sorenson, had been trying to convince Lori to go all the way with him. Then there had been Taylor, Lori's roommate. Now it was Lori's father. Somehow Lori was connected to every single kill the ghost had made. Callie needed to talk to her. That was enough to make her turn around and head back toward the town.


	31. Hookman::04

_So I planned on getting this chapter out almost four days ago but didn't manage it until today. Oops! My bad! Thanks to _tigereyekum_ (I try to update quickly but sometimes it doesn't happen!) and _Carver Edlund_ (If I can work it out there should be more in the upcoming chapters) for reviewing the last chapter! I own nothing of Supernatural you recognize. Also *spoiler alert on the off chance you haven't seen through Shadow in Season One* Meg Masters is officially the Psycho Chick so don't be surprised if that shows up when she finally does._

* * *

It was late afternoon when Callie arrived at the hospital. She walked right up to the woman at the front desk and waited patiently until she was able to get off the phone. "Good afternoon," the woman said cheerfully. "Can I help you?"

"Yes," Callie replied. "I was wondering if Lori Sorenson was allowed to have visitors."

"No," the woman replied. "But she's being released in a couple minutes if you want to wait for her."

"I will," Callie said with a cheerful smile. "Thank you."

"Not a problem honey," the woman replied. Callie turned and sat down in one of the waiting room chairs, watching for any sign of Lori. Twenty minutes later the young woman walked and stopped to hand a manilla folder to the nurse Callie had talked to. The woman said something with a smile and motioned to Callie. Lori turned, formed a vague smile on her face, and walked over.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I don't remember your name. It's nice of you to come see me though."

"We have a mutual friend," Callie replied, walking out of the hospital with Lori. "Sam Winchester."

"Oh," Lori said, flushing slightly. "The new boy. The cute one."

"Yup," Callie replied, popping the p and fighting to hide a grin.

"Oh," Lori said again, flushing an even darker shade of red. "Sorry. You're probably his girlfriend or something."

"No," Callie said, shaking her head and flushing slightly.

"His brother's girlfriend?" Lori pushed.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Callie said, holding a hand up and halting in the middle of the street. "We are _not _talking about my doomed love life, okay." Lori giggled and Callie rolled her eyes. "Look, what I wanted to ask was how you were doing." Instantly Lori's face sobered. They walked a few feet in silence before Lori spoke.

"Can I trust you with a secret?" she asked. Callie hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "Strange," Lori said absently. "I actually believe you." She let out a heavy breath then and glanced at Callie. "I think I have something to do with the murders." Callie didn't have to fake the shock on her face but it wasn't for the reason Lori probably thought it was there. Lori had been thinking the same thing she was? "Look, it isn't like I killed anyone," Lori continued in a rush. "But people that annoy me keep dying. First there was Rich. He was really sweet."

A wistful smile appeared on Lori's face and then faded, quick as the sun emerging for a moment on a cloudy day before vanishing. "But he was pushing me to go all the way with him. I didn't want to but he kept pushing and pushing. I started feeling fed up and then angry and then..." Lori hesitated, her breath hitching for a moment. "Then he was dead. Taylor was next and she was always pushing me to party when I didn't _want_ to. Then my dad almost died after I found out he was seeing a married woman."

Lori's breathing was turning into little half sobs as the sun vanished from the sky and the streetlights came on. "Everyone getting hurt made me angry in some way. I think it's all my fault." Lori turned pleading eyes to Callie. "Tell me I'm wrong." Callie felt speechless. Part of her wanted to lie to Lori but the rest of her wanted to scream that Lori was right but that _she _wasn't killing anyone so why should she feel guilty? "I knew it," Lori said dismally, turning back to the street and walking faster.

"Wait," Callie called after her, Lori's sudden movement unfreezing her. "Where are you going?"

"To the church," Lori called. "To pray."

"I'm coming with you," Callie said. Lori opened her mouth to protest but Callie held up her hand to silence the other woman. "You shouldn't be alone," Callie said gently. Lori hesitated a moment and then nodded.

The church was empty and silent as the grave but Callie felt paranoid, as if someone were watching her. Lori, however, had no such qualms. She walked to a pew in the middle of the church and sank down in the seat, bowing her head. Callie heard and click and spun on her toes to see Dean vanishing down the steps and Sam coming out. Callie flicked her head at Lori and mouthed, _"You talk to her_." Sam nodded and handed her the gun as he walked by to talk to Lori.

She was on the first step of the basement when she heard Lori saying, "They didn't deserve to be punished. I do." Instantly the candles all blew out. _Oh crap!_ Callie spun in the darkness and blindly made her way up the step. She could hear Sam trying to get Lori to move. She heard smashing glass and then Lori and Sam both yell as something dragged Lori across the floor.

The Hookman threw Sam aside and Callie went from a full out sprint to shove Lori out of the way. The hook sliced into her arm and she let out a muffled cry of pain. "Move," she yelled to Sam, only pausing to see him grab Lori before ducking another swing of the hook. The hook sliced at her again and Callie back up rapidly, accidentally tripping over her own feet. She crashed to the ground, landed on her wounded arm, and the Hookman loomed over her. "_DEAN_," Callie screamed before she could think, her entire body tensed for the strike.

"Stay down!" Callie flinched as the shotgun fired over her head and the Hookman vanished. She stared at Dean, eyes wide and gasping with panic. "Are you okay?" he asked, offering her his hand. She nodded and took it, allowing him to pull her up. Her whole body was quivering and she tensed as Dean turned to look at the doorway. "It's fine," he said in a low voice. "Just Sammy." Callie turned and saw Sam standing there with Lori.

"I thought we got all the silver," Sam said.

"So did I," Dean shot back.

"Then why is he still here?"

"Maybe we missed something."

"Lori," Callie said weakly, her muscles quivering. The shock of almost being killed was still rushing through her body, making it hard to speak. Luckily Sam seemed to understand.

"Where did you get that chain?" Sam asked.

"My father gave it to me," Lori replied, surprised.

"Where'd your dad get it?" Dean demanded, squeezing Callie's fingers lightly.

"He said it was a church heirloom. He gave it to me when I started school."

"Is it silver?" Sam asked urgently.

"Yes!" Lori replied, sounding frantic now as well. Sam snatched it then and tossed it to Dean. Callie flinched suddenly as they all heard a scratching sound. They all turned to see a long scratch across the church floor.

"Sam!" Dean called and tossed his brother the gun. Then he headed for the basement, pulling Callie with him. She stumbled blindly down the stairs with him and watched as he tossed the chain into the furnace. As soon as it began to melt he headed for the stairs, still tugging Callie along. Her fingers were still shaking in his own so he didn't let go of them. By the time they arrived Sam and Lori were getting up and there was a long gash across Sam's shoulder.

"I," Lori began shakily. "I'll call the police." Sam nodded and she walked out of the church, phone already in hand. Sam turned to Callie then.

"You okay," he asked as they waited for the police. "I know he got you."

"Yeah," Callie replied, tugging her hand out of Dean's and wrapping her arms around her stomach. "I'm fine. It'll heal in twenty-four hours, give or take." Whatever Sam was about to say next was cut short then by the flashing of police lights. They all turned and headed silently outside.

Dean was the last one to tell his story to the sheriff. "And you saw him too?" the man asked. "The man with the hook?"

"Yes," Dean said, casting a look at Callie out of the corner of his eye. She was leaning up against the Impala, still quivering with the close encounter with death. "I told you. We all saw him. We fought him off and he ran."

"And that's all?"

"Yeah. That's all."

"Listen," the man said after a moment. "You and your brother-"

"Oh don't worry," Dean interrupted him. "We're leaving town." The man nodded and headed over to check with the paramedic that was tending to Sam. Dean glanced at his brother, reassuring himself that he was all right, and then headed over to Callie. "You okay?" he asked her.

"Fine," she said, looking down at the ground. "Why wouldn't I be fine?" She had slipped on some old grey sweatshirt over her outfit and her arms were held tight around her stomach.

"Well you were almost killed," Dean said and she shivered. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," Callie said again.

"You're still not answering me," Dean prodded gently.

"Dean," she said tiredly, glancing up at him. "Just leave it. _Please_." It was the please that got him.

"Okay," he replied. "But you know where to find me when you want to talk." Callie managed a shaky smile before she slipped into the back of the Impala. Dean headed for the driver's seat and moments later Sam joined them. "We could stay," Dean told Sam but his brother shook his head. Dean glanced at Lori in the rearview mirror before shaking his head and pulling out of his parking spot.


	32. Bugs::01

Author's Note: Thanks to _Carver Edlund_ (Glad you like it!) and _tigereyekum_ (Yeah. The whole Dean and Cassie thing is going to be very interesting) for reviewing the last chapter! I own nothing of Supernatural you recognize.

* * *

_She was backing away from the ghost with the hook again. She stumbled and fell, her back slamming hard against the floor of the church. The hook rose up above her, shining in the moonlight. She tried to scream but no sound came out. The hook flashed downward and she jerked away. It slammed into her shoulder anyway, blood spurting out when it slid free. The pain washed over her and she whimpered out the name that refused to come. The hook rose again and she cringed back, eyes searching frantically for escape._

Dean woke rather suddenly when a hand collided with his shoulder. He blinked, staring at the ceiling of the hotel they were currently staying in. Since Sam and Callie had both been injured they splurged. Sam was out on one bed, whatever pain medication they had given him knocking him out as soon as he had laid down. Callie had been curled up next to him but now she was tangled in the covers, whimpering in her sleep. She silenced after a moment, eyes still moving restlessly underneath her eyelids.

Dean was about to fall back to sleep when she whimpered out his name. It was so soft at first that he thought he had just imagined it. Then she thrashed a bit, fighting against the blankets, and managed to get his name out again, this time in a choked sob of terror. Dean recognized the tone. It was the same one that sometimes came out when Sam had a particularly bad nightmare, like the ones after the shapeshifter.

Dean rolled over and shook her gently, trying to wake her up. It worked. A little too well. Callie jolted out of sleep, her fist slamming into his shoulder. He winced and jerked back for a moment, glancing down at her. Wide eyes stared back at him as she gasped for breath, her whole body shaking. "Hey," he said softly and she blinked at him, sinking back into the bed. "You okay?"

"Y-yeah," she managed shakily.

Dean sighed and sank down to lean on one side on the bed, still watching her. "Liar," he said after a moment and she flushed slightly, straightening out the blankets instead of looking at him. "Want to talk?"

"No," she said after a moment, fingers twisting in the blanket.

"You sure?"

"Yeah." A faint smile made its way on to her face and she flushed slightly. "Go back to sleep."

"No," Dean said after a moment. "I don't think I will." Then he turned to his brother, smirking slightly. "Sammy! Up!" His brother actually jerked upright, actually pulling a gun on him. Callie yelped, startled, and Dean smirked.

"What time is it?" Sam grumbled as reality sank in, shoving the gun back under the pillow.

"Just after six in the morning," Dean replied cheerfully. "We slept in today." Sam and Callie groaned in tandem, Callie digging around on the floor for her pillow. When she came up with it she promptly attempted to hit him over the head with it. Dean dodged and then smirked at her. She glared sleepily at him and then dropped back on the bed, covering her head with the pillow. Dean's smirk widened and he yanked the pillow off her head, shoving her off the bed. Even half asleep Callie's reflexes was faster than the average person. She landed on her feet, blinked twice, and then scowled at him, leaving the pillow a heading for the bathroom.

An hour later they were in the Impala and heading for Oklahoma. Dean turned up the music in a vain attempt to block out his thoughts but his mind kept going back to Callie. Ever since the shapeshifter she had seemed more fragile. Hunter's death and her near brush with death had both shaken her and Dean knew she hadn't been sleeping peacefully. He glanced in the mirror and saw Callie curled up in the back leaning her forehead against the window. Her eyes were closed but Dean knew she wasn't sleeping. She was too peaceful.

The drive went on in relative silence, the music blaring on and Sam occasionally navigating from the passenger seat. Callie drifted in and out of sleep, waking up with a soft gasp every time. A few times her eyes connected with his and she flushed, looking back out the window. They stopped for a lunch break at a gas station and then continued on, not stopping again until it was almost dark. Dean headed immediately for the bar, determined to forgot Callie's nightmares and his apparently new obsession with her. Sam and Callie headed elsewhere, Sam calling a time to meet over his shoulder as they left.

Callie was twisting in her own mental turmoil. Her attraction to Dean was growing, becoming difficult to hide. Furthermore part of her wasn't sure she wanted to. That was dangerous. The last person she'd fallen in love with was Hunter and he had gone crazy before dying to help stop a "rabid" shapeshifter. Before that the only person in her heart was Juliet, her little sister. Juliet had been killed at a truck stop; killed by a trucker who had gone postal and started shooting people.

They settled in some small cafe. They ate in silence, a couple of the waitresses flirting with Sam while Callie watched with a sense of amusement. One of the older waitresses met Callie's amused glance and smiled slightly at her. Callie bit down a giggle and headed for the bathroom, abandoning Sam to his fate for a few minutes. "You're pure evil," he hissed at her when she came back. Callie just grinned at him and after a moment he smiled back, shaking his head.

"Come on hot stuff," she muttered. "Let's head back to the bar before we're late and Dean freaks out."

"Real funny Colton," he replied, rolling his eyes. She glanced over her shoulder for a moment so that he could see her smirk and then walked out in front of him. Sam paid and then caught up to her, his longer legs easily keeping pace with her shorter strides. The stopped at the Impala, leaning against the outside. Sam unfolded a newspaper he had snagged from the restaurant while Callie kept an eye on the bar door. "Check this out," he said after a moment, handing over the paper and motioning to an article. Callie began to read as Dean walked out of the bar. "You know we could get day jobs once in a while," Sam said as they slipped in the car, Callie still reading as she went.

"Hunting's our day job," Dean retorted. "And the pay is crap."

"Yeah," Sam replied reluctantly. "But hustling pool? Credit card scams? It's not the most honest thing in the world."

"Well let's see," Callie heard Dean reply. " Honest. Fun and easy. It's no contest. Besides, we're good at it. It's what we were raised to do."

"Well how we were raised was wacked," Sam pointed out.

"Are we checking this out?" Callie cut in, interrupting the brothers before they could start arguing.

"Check out what?" Dean asked, swiveling in his seat to glance at Callie.

"I thought it'd be worth the time," Sam replied.

"Check out what?" Dean repeated impatiently.

"A gas company employee named Dustin Burwash died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob in Oasis Plains, Oklahoma," Callie said, folding up the paper and handing it back to Sam.

"Say what?" Dean asked and Callie shrugged.

"Human mad cow disease," Sam explained.

"Oh," Dean said. "Wasn't that on Oprah?"

"You watch Oprah?" Callie and Sam asked in tandem and then grinned at each other.

"So this guy eats a bad burger," Dean said quickly. "Why is it our kind of thing?"

"Mad cow disease causes massive brain degeneration," Sam replied, letting Dean off the hook for the moment. "It takes months, even years, for the damage to appear. But this guy Dustin? Sounds like his brain disintegrated in about an hour. Maybe less."

"Okay. That's weird," Dean said. Then he turned to Callie as if a thought had just hit him. "Why don't you know this stuff?"

"What?" Callie asked, staring blankly at Dean.

"All this disease stuff," Dean replied. "I mean you were born in a lab weren't you?"

"No," Callie said rather frostily. "I was born in someone's house thank you very much. And when I was in the lab they were interested in getting me ready to be dissected."

"Freaky," Dean said, arching an eyebrow at her. Callie glared back at him, fighting to keep from giving in.

"Okay," Sam cut in. "Can we get back to the subject please?" They both turned back to him and he smiled slightly. "It could be just the disease or something much nastier."

"All right. Oklahoma here we come," Dean said, starting the Impala. "Man work, work, work. No time to spend my money." Callie and I rolled their eyes at each other and settled in for the ride. Callie felt her eyes growing heavy as she watched the dark road fly by. Slowly her eyes drifted closed. Callie fought the incoming wave of sleep but it was too strong and her eyes drifted closed.


	33. Bugs::02

Author's Note: And now for the next chapter of Bugs in which we see that Dean totally misses what's going on some days.

* * *

_It was dark. The air felt heavy and thick as she pulled it in. She was walking steadily foreword, reaching a woodland church. Her hand reached out, pale and trembling, to pull open the door. Juliet was standing there in her white dress, frozen as always when the dream started this way. Callie made her way down the aisle, trembling all the way. When she reached the pulpit everything started again as if someone had released a rubber band._

_Organ music began to play as Juliet made her way down the aisle. Halfway to the pulpit Juliet began to scream. Everyone else vanished and the organ music cut off with a chillingly wrong cord as Juliet crumpled to the ground, blood staining her white dress a dark red color._

_"Juliet!" Callie screamed, running for her sister even though she knew she was going to be too late. That was when everything changed for the first time since she'd had the dream. Callie stumbled, crashing hard to the ground. An ache spread through her knees, radiating throughout her body, and she screamed again. The scene whirled around her, sucked into a black vortex for a moment._

_She was in a church again, a different one, and this time she was lying on her back staring up as a silver hook flashed down toward her. Callie let out a silent scream and-_

Jerked out of sleep with a panicked cry. For a moment all she could see was the painful wash of sunlight rushing at her. She blinked twice, rubbing her eyes, and sat up slowly. She was safe in the Impala, not about to be killed by an angry ghost with a hook. The doors opened and Callie glanced over to see Dean and Sam enter the Impala. "We've got the place where Dustin was killed," Sam said when he realized Callie was awake.

The drive was short and this time Callie got out of the car with the brothers. "Fancy place," Callie muttered, glancing around.

"No kidding," Dean agreed before turning to Sam. "What do you think?"

"I don't know," Sam replied. "But that guy, Travis, was right. It happened pretty damn fast." Callie ducked under the police tape ahead of them and glanced down the sinkhole.

"So what?" she heard Dean ask from behind her. "Some sort of creature chewed on his brain?"

"No. There'd be an entry wound. Something like this worked from the inside."

"Huh," Dean said and then stepped up beside Callie, glancing down the sinkhole. "Only room for one."

"Not it," Callie said immediately. Both brothers gave her a weird look. "_What?!_" she asked. "Small hole with the possibility of something eating my brain from the inside out? No thank you?"

"You're claustrophobic?" Sam asked and Callie shrugged, wandering off to find a piece of rope. "And Dean we have no idea what's down there."

"All right," Callie heard Dean reply. "I'll go if you're scared. You scared."

"Flip the damn coin," Sam snapped as Callie finally found a section of rope long enough to be useable.

"All right," Dean shot back. "Call it in the air chicken." Callie turned in time to see Sam snatch the coin out of midair.

"I'm going."

"I said I'd go."

"I'm. Going."

"All right." Callie handed Sam the rope with a roll of her eyes and he began tying it around his waist. Suddenly he stopped and turned back to Dean.

"Don't drop me." Dean just rolled his eyes at that and lowered Sam down in the hall. They waited a couple minutes before Sam called, "Bring me back up?"

"Find anything?" Dean asked as Sam untied himself.

"A few dead beetles," Sam replied, face creased in confusion.

"That's it?" Callie asked and he nodded, taking her hand and allowing her to pull him up before they headed for the car.

"So you found some beetles," Dean said with a shrug, slipping into the driver's seat as the others followed suit. "In a hole in the ground. That's shocking Sam." He pulled away from the half built house.

"There were no tunnels, no tracks," Sam said, examining a beetle he had brought up with him. "No evidence of any other kind of creature down there. You know some beetles do actually eat meat. Now it's usually dead meat but-"

"How many did you find down there?" Dean interrupted.

"Ten."

"It'd take a whole lot more than that to eat someone's brain."

"Well maybe there were more," Callie suggested from the back seat.

"I don't know," Dean replied. "It sounds like a stretch to me."

"So did the fact that Bloody Mary was real," Callie shot back and Sam leaned around the seat slightly to high five her.

"Well we need more information on the area, on the neighborhood, before we dismiss this," Sam said turning back to Dean.

"I know a good place to stop," Dean said, glancing at a sign. "I'm kind of hungry for barbeque. How about you?" Callie snorted with suppressed laughter and Sam gave his brother a look. "What? We can't talk to the locals?"

"And the free food's got nothing to do with it?" Sam asked and Callie struggled to keep from laughing out loud.

"Of course not," Dean said dismissively. "I'm a professional."

"Right," Callie and Sam drawled at the same time, Callie shaking with suppressed laughter. Dean pulled over then and parked next to a decorated house.

"Growing up in a place like this would freak me out," Dean said as they slid out of the Impala.

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Well, manicured lawns, 'How was your day honey?' I'd blow my brains out."

"There's nothing wrong with normal," Sam shot back.

"I'd take our family over normal any day."

"Some of us would have taken normal," Callie informed Dean, stepping forward to knock on the door.

"Welcome," a middle aged man said with a smile.

"This is the barbeque?" Dean asked him.

"Yeah," the man replied. "Not the best weather for it but- I'm Larry Pike; the developer here. And you are?"

"Dean. These are Sam and Callie." Dean and Larry shook hands then, Callie slipping back to stand next to Sam.

"Sam, Dean, Callie," Larry said. "Good to meet you. So you all are interested in Oasis Plains?"

"Yes sir," Dean replied.

"Let me just say," Larry said, looking almost awkward. "We accept homeowners of any race, religion, color, or-" He paused and Callie suddenly found herself fighting giggles. "Sexual orientation."

"We're brothers," Dean said quickly and Callie bit down on her lower lip hard so she wouldn't stop laughing at the embarrassed look on Larry's face. "And Callie here is Sam's girlfriend." All urges to laugh left instantly, swamped by a wave of irritation.

"Our father is getting on in years and we're looking for a place for him," Sam added.

"Great, great," Larry said, looking glad that his blunder was being overlooked. "Well seniors are welcome too. Come on in."

"Girlfriend?" Callie whispered to Sam, standing on tip toe to do so.

"He's oblivious," Sam whispered back, causing Callie to flush slightly. They followed Larry through the house and out into the backyard which was actually rather pretty considering the rain weather. "You said you were the developer?" Sam asked Larry, slipping an arm around Callie's shoulders.

"Eighteen months ago I was walking this valley with my survey team," Larry replied. "There was nothing here but scrub brush and squirrels. And you know what? We built such a nice place to live that I actually bought into it myself. This is our house. We're the first family in Oasis Plains." He walked over to a pretty middle aged woman and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "This is my wife Joanie."

"Hi there," Joanie said, offering her hand.

"Hi," Dean replied, shaking it.

"Hi, nice to meet you," Joanie said.

"Sam, Dean, and Callie," Larry said and Joanie nodded, offering her hand to Sam next.

"Sam," he said. "And this is my girlfriend Callie."

"Pleasure," Joanie said with a wide smile.

"Tell them how much you love the place honey," Larry said with a smile. "And lie if you have to because I need to sell some houses."

"Right," Joanie replied with a laugh.

"Boys will you excuse me," Larry asked and then rushed off.

"Don't let his salesman attitude scare you off," Joanie said with a gentle smile. "This is a really great place to live."


	34. Bugs::03

_Thanks to _tigereyekum_ (Dean doesn't get it does he?), _turtlethewriter_ (I have read Maximum Ride-first 3 good and after that I kind of gave up. Glad you're enjoying it!), and _Carver Edlund_ (Don't worry-she and Sam will) for reviewing the last chapter! I own nothing of Supernatural that you recognize._

* * *

Joanie led the way through the yard, talking as she went. A dark haired woman with a too bright smile suddenly bounced up to them. "Hi," she chirped, interrupting Joanie. "I'm Lynda Bloome, head of sales."

"Lynda was the second to move in," Joanie said with a slight roll of her eyes that only they saw. "She's a very noisy neighbor though." She spotted someone wandering around looking lost and excused herself, leaving them with Lynda.

"She's kidding of course," Lynda said with a laugh. "I take it you three are interested in becoming homeowners."

"Well..." Dean said awkwardly and Callie knew neither her or Sam had been ready for Lynda.

"I'm Callie," she said, offering her hand to Lynda. "This is my boyfriend Sam and his brother Dean. Their father is getting on in years and we're looking for a good place for him to live."

"That's so sweet of you," Lynda cooed with a brilliant smile.

"Right," Dean said awkwardly. "I'm going to go talk to Larry." He edged away as if Lynda was contagious. Callie bit down a laugh as Sam kept his arm around her shoulder. Lynda began chatting on and on energetically and Callie fought to maintain her smile.

"Excuse me," Sam said suddenly and slipped by Lynda briskly.

"Sorry about that," Callie apologized. "They lost their mother a while back and now that their father is getting older and starting to forget- well it's hard."

"No problem dear," Lynda said gently. "Just come talk to me if you have any questions." Then she walked away so Callie could catch up with Sam. He was talking to a young man to whom he had handed a spider.

"Rude," she scolded teasingly and Sam grinned.

"Sorry darling," he drawled and she smacked him lightly on the arm.

"Matthew," they heard Larry call then and the boy turned toward Larry, whom Callie guessed was his father, with a resigned look on his face. "I'm sorry about my son and his pet," Larry apologized.

"It's no bother," Sam replied and Callie nodded, smiling sweetly.

"Excuse us," Larry said as Dean rejoined them, ushering Matthew away.

"Remind you of someone?" Sam asked, turning to Dean who shrugged, looking mystified. "Dad?" Callie winced and watched Larry yelling at Matthew.

"Dad never treated us like that," Dean said, still sounding confused and now a little annoyed.

"Dad never treated _you_ like that," Sam corrected. "You were perfect. He was all over my case. You don't remember?"

"Well maybe he had to raise his voice, but sometimes you were out of line," Dean shot back.

"Right," Sam said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Like when I said I'd rather play soccer than learn bowhunting."

"Bowhuntings an important skill," Dean said and Callie rolled her eyes, knowing he had completely missed the point.

"Whatever," Sam drawled. "How was your tour?"

"Oh it was excellent," Dean replied with an amused smirk. "I'm ready to buy." Sam laughed then and Dean grinned. "So you might be on to something. Looks like Dustin Burwash wasn't the first strange death here. About a year ago, before they broke ground, one of Larry's surveyors dropped dead while on the job. Get this; he had a severe allergic reaction to bee stings."

"More bugs," Sam said, past his irritation and focusing on the present problem now.

"More bugs," Dean agreed.

"Then let's get out of here," Callie said in an undertone. "I'm sick of pretending to be Sam's girlfriend." She headed back toward the Impala followed by a smirking Sam and a bemused Dean.

Sam drove this time while Dean looked through their father's journal. "You know I've heard of killer bees but killer beetles?" Dean said while he searched. "What is it that could make different bugs attack?"

"Well hauntings could include bug manifestation," Sam suggested.

"I didn't see any evidence of ghost activity though," Dean replied.

"Me neither," Sam agreed.

"Maybe they're being controlled somehow," Dean said after a moment of thought. "You know by something or someone."

"You mean like Willard?"

"Yeah," Dean agreed. "But bugs instead of rats."

"There are cases of psychic connections between people and animals," Sam admitted. "Elementals, telepaths."

"Yeah. The whole Timmy-Lassie thing." Dean thought for a moment and then said, "Larry's kid-he's got bugs for pets."

"Matt?" Sam asked.

"I don't think so," Callie said and at the same time Dean said, "Yeah."

"Why not?" Sam asked Callie. "I mean he did try to scare the realtor with a tarantula."

"That doesn't make him a bad person," Callie protested. "That just makes him a typical teenager."

"Let me put it this way," Dean said. "Did you ever scare anyone with a bug?"

"No," Callie said. "I chased off the guy from the IRS when I was eight with a shotgun while my mother was in the shower."

"Really?" Sam asked, sounding like he was trying not to laugh. Dean was smirking so widely it looked like the smirk would eat his face.

"Yeah," Callie said with an embarrassed smile.

"Pull over here," Dean said suddenly and Sam pulled into the driveway of an empty Oasis Plains house.

"What are we doing here?" Sam asked as Dean got out of the car.

"It's too late to talk to anyone else," Dean replied.

"We're going to squat in an empty house?" Sam asked incredulously while Callie rolled her eyes.

"Of course we are," she muttered, staring up at the ceiling of the Impala. "Heaven forbid we ever do anything legal." Sam snorted with suppressed laughter and Callie grinned.

"I want to try the steam shower," Dean called, shoving the garage door open. "Come on." Sam made no attempt to move the Impala and Callie started laughing. "Come on!" Sam pulled into the garage as Callie worked to muffle her laughter.

The house was massive. Callie walked through the dark hallways, feeling restless and unable to sleep. "You okay?" The sudden voice startled her and she gasped, spinning around to see Dean leaning against the staircase. "Sorry," he apologized as Callie relaxed.

"No your fault," she mumbled, leaning against the standard issue dinning room table.

"Are you okay?" he asked again and she shrugged moodily. "Is it because of what I said earlier? About you and Sam?" The absurdity of the statement struck her Callie started laughing. The laughter turned to tears then as her exhaustion made her overemotional. "Hey, hey," she heard Dean say, sounding panicked. "Don't cry on me." Hysterical giggles escaped her then at his panicked tone of voice.

"I'm-" she gasped out and then wiped away her tears, glancing at his concerned face. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired."

"Get some rest," Dean said gently and Callie nodded, trying not to laugh at his hopeless expression. "You'll feel better in the morning." Callie nodded again and slipped by him, heading up the stairs.

Sam startled her when she was heading for a bedroom by sticking her head out of the room he was using. "Are you okay?"

Callie let out a watery laugh and turned to face Sam, swiping away a few tears. "I think- I think I just traumatized your brother," Callie got out, brushing away more tears. "I started crying."

"And Dean has no idea how to deal with crying girls," Sam finished. "You want to talk?" Callie shrugged and Sam motioned her into the room.

"I don't know where to start," Callie admitted as they both sat.

"Dean said he found you in the graveyard while we were battling the Hookman," Sam said. "Start there."

"Juliet's buried there," Callie admitted, aware that the tears were starting again.

"Oh," Sam said but he didn't say he was sorry and Callie was grateful for that.

"Okay," she said with a heavy sigh. "I have this reoccurring dream where Juliet is walking down the aisle of a church and she just starts bleeding and I have to watch her die. Except now something new is added."

"The Hookman," Sam said, understanding and Callie nodded. "And Dean never shows up this time." Another nod. "You know," Sam said after a moment. "Whoever said you could control your dreams was an idiot." Callie felt a smile begin to creep across her face and suddenly they were both laughing. Callie flopped back on the bed and Sam did as well. They were both grinning at each other when Callie yawned widely.

"I should probably head to my temporary room," she said, yawning widely again.

"Nah," Sam said, yawning as well. "Crash here. Then we can wake each other up if we have nightmares."

"Sure," Callie said, too tired to argue. Her eyelids drifted shut and she was asleep almost before her eyes were closed.

They both woke up just after eight in the morning when the police scanner Sam had started talking. Callie and Sam shot upright, banging foreheads. "Ow," Callie mumbled with a rueful smile, rubbing her forehead. Sam grinned at her and turned up the scanner. Moments later the grins faded.

"I'll get Dean," Sam said, heading for the door. Callie didn't respond. She was already right behind him. Finding Dean wasn't difficult. All they needed to do was follow the sound of running water. Sam knocked and waited for a moment. No response. "You ever coming out of there?" Sam called.

"What?" they heard Dean call back over the sound of running water.

"A police call came in on the scanner," Callie called.

"Hold on," came the response.

"Someone was found dead three blocks from here," Sam pushed impatiently. "Come on!"

Dean came out moments later wrapped in a towel with another on his head. "This shower is awesome."

"Beside the point," Callie called already heading back to the room she had shared with Sam. "Move your butt."

"You hooking up with her or something?" she heard Dean say behind her as she headed into the room. Instantly her cheeks turned bright red.

"Come_ on_ Dean," she heard Sam say before he joined her. "Sorry," he apologized.

"Not your fault your brother is an oblivious jerk," Callie said, hoping she wasn't as red as she thought.

"You want to get back at him?" Sam asked as they snatched up their things and headed back into the hallway.

"Yeah," Callie said immediately.

"Don't hit me then," she heard Sam say. Callie turned to look at him curiously and he kissed her. Callie froze and all but gaped at him as he pulled away.

"I thought we needed to get moving," she heard Dean say sourly before pushing past them. "Come on lovebirds."

"He's jealous," Sam said, looking after his brother with a grin.

"Okay then," Callie said, shaking her head but smiling slightly. "Come on _honey_. We best catch up with him before he leaves us."

"Sure _sweetheart_," Sam said, smirking at her. Callie laughed as they slipped out of the house arm in arm.


	35. Bugs::04

_Yay-Bugs is finished! I'll apologize for an insanely long and packed chapter but I'm setting everything up for events toward the end of this season. That means Kaila and Arden will reappear (mentioned/seen in Phantom Traveler) along with one other character but won't play a huge part until about the last three episodes. Thanks to _turtlethewriter_ (It is fun to write him that way but he won't stay that way long), _tigereyekum_ (Yeah. I have Sam more perceptive about this than Dean at this point), _Carver Edlund_, and _Amelia Delling_ (Glad you're enjoying it! As for the issue you pointed out-I plan on editing the first parts eventually to fix timeline and those kinds of things so it makes more sense) for reviewing the last chapter. I own nothing of Supernatural you recognize! Also-quick question- what episodes are you looking forward to seeing in season one and why?  
_

* * *

Dean pulled up in front of the house and they all slipped out. "Hello," Larry said, turning back to them and looking worried. "You're-uh-back early."

"Yeah," Dean said. "We just drove in. We wanted to take another look at the neighborhood."

"What's going on?" Sam added, his arm around Callie again.

"You guys met Lynda Bloome at the barbeque?" Larry asked.

"The realtor," Callie said. "What about her?"

"Well she uh..." Larry trailed off and swallowed hard. "Passed away last night."

"Oh my gosh," Callie said, making her eyes wide. "I'm so sorry. What happened?"

"I'm still trying to find out," Larry said. "I identified the body for the police but they won't tell me anything. Look I-I'm sorry. This isn't a good time now."

"No problem," Callie said gently.

"Yeah," Sam added. "It's okay." Larry nodded a gave a weak smile.

"Excuse me," he said and rushed off.

"You know what we have to do, right?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," Sam said immediately. "Get in the house."

"See if we've got a bug problem," Dean finished. Callie bit back a groan. That was when her phone started to ring. She glanced at it and felt a pang of worry in her chest.

"You guys do that," she said. "I've got to take this." Sam nodded and bent down to kiss her lightly again.

"Come on lover boy," she heard Dean call as he stomped away. Sam smirked and winked at her before following his brother. Callie rolled her eyes and then reached for her phone.

"Hello?" she said.

"Callie?" The voice that answered was lightly accented. "This is Kaila." The worry grew.

"Why are you calling me from Arden's phone?" Callie asked.

"Because she's missing," Kaila said and Callie could hear the panic in her friend's voice. "I found her phone in the middle of the street next to the car but Arden isn't anywhere."

"Did you check surveillance cameras?" Callie asked, trying to stay calm as she began to pace.

"Of course." Kaila was holding herself together enough to sound offended by Callie's lack of faith. "They just stopped working when she was taken."

"You don't think-" Callie began and then cut herself off before she could finish that sentence. She didn't want to say it. It would be too much like admitting that Arden was taken away from them forever.

"I don't know," Kaila replied hopelessly and Callie heard her friend's voice wobble.

"We're going to go check out Matt," Callie heard Sam said and she nodded, covering the bottom of the phone so Kaila wouldn't hear her.

"Text me when you're finished and I'll tell you where to pick me up," she told him and Sam nodded. "You still there Kai?"

"Y-yeah," Kaila replied in a wet sounding voice. "What are we going to do Callie?"

"First off we're not going to panic," Callie said, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. "I'm going to hang up with you and call Sparrow. Maybe she's heard something. I'll call you right back, okay?"

"Got it," Kaila said, her voice still weak. Then she hung up. Callie was dialing instantly. Suzanna "Sparrow" Harris was the last of Callie's close friends. Sparrow was fifteen, an outcast in her school because she was so insanely smart, and could pick a liar out of the crowd. She also hunted the supernatural on weekends. But that was only because she healed, her body automatically clensing of any and all toxins and sealing wounds in a matter of minutes.

"This is the Harris household, Suzanna speaking," a prim and proper voice answered the phone after the second ring.

"It's Callie, Sparrow," Callie said.

"It's nice to hear your voice again," Sparrow said immediately. "Do you have a challenge for me?"

"Yeah," Callie replied. "Arden went missing and the cameras all went out."

"And you want to know what entity could have done such a thing," Sparrow finished. Callie blinked and then smiled, glad Sparrow couldn't see her. She had forgotten Sparrow's almost formal way of speaking.

"You've got it," Callie told her.

"How much time do I possess to research?"

"As long as you need."

"I'll call you back by tomorrow morning," Sparrow said and then hung up. Callie's phone beeped next to her ear then, signaling a text message. It was from Sam asking where she was. Callie called him. He answered on the first ring.

"We found a skull," Sam told her. "And that Matt isn't the one doing this. Where are you?"

"Same place you left me," Callie told him and then hung up, calling Kaila. "Sparrow's on the case," she told her friend. "She'll call back tomorrow. Hang in there Kai."

"I will," Kaila said. "Call me as soon as you get news." Then Kaila hung up and Callie began to pace, waiting for Sam and Dean.

"So what's with the phone call?" Dean asked.

Callie hesitated and Sam obviously took this as a coming refusal because he said, "You can trust us you know?"

"Yeah," she said tiredly. "I know." She hesitated again and then sighed. "It's kind of a long story."

"Would it help if we could walk?" Sam asked and when Callie nodded he said, "Dean, pull over." Dean did as he was told, not arguing for once. She climbed out of the car and the boys followed as she began walking down the ditch and into the woods, wanting to be away from civilization for this conversation.

"So spill," Dean said after a moment of silence and Callie didn't protest.

"Remember Arden?" she asked before Sam could protest on her behalf.

"The blond?" Dean asked and Callie blinked once in surprise before nodding.

"Yeah," Callie answered. "She normally stays with Kaila, one of my other friends, but not because she had a falling out with her family. They're dead. Killed by the kind of monsters no one believes in."

"That sucks for her and all," Dean responded. "But why does any of this matter?"

"She's missing," Callie said flatly. "Kaila found her phone lying in the middle of the street not from the car but there's no sign of Arden an the cameras weren't working so Kai doesn't know who took Arden." Dean actually stopped in his tracks and Callie had to spin to face him. "So that's what's with the phone calls."

"Do you need any help?" Sam asked instantly and Callie smiled fondly at him. Honestly he was so much like a brother sometimes that it surprised her.

"Not yet at least," Callie said. "Kai and I have guesses but no real idea what took Arden."

"And how exactly are you going to find out what did?" Dean asked impatiently as Callie headed back in the direction of the Impala.

"Sparrow," Callie called over her shoulder, not caring that she probably didn't make any sense to him. "Now are we going to find out about your skull or not?"

While Dean and Sam were asking about the bones Callie paced and wished Sparrow would call early. The boys came out interrupting Callie's worrying. "_Come on_," Dean demanded, striding by her.

"Where are we going?" Callie asked, rolling her eyes as she followed the boys.

"Sapulpa," Sam said. Callie sighed and sank into the back seat, settling in for the ride. Sapulpa turned out to be a Native American reservation about an hour away. There they tracked down a man named, of all things, Joe White Tree. The man was elderly and seemed to be playing some form of solitare by himself at a table. "Joe White Tree?" Sam asked and the man nodded. "We'd like to ask you a few questions if that's all right?"

"We're students from the university," Dean said.

Joe looked right at Dean then and said, "No you're not. You're lying." Dean looked slightly shocked and Callie fought down laughter.

"Well, truth is," Dean began but Joe cut him off again.

"You know who starts a sentence with 'truth is'? Liars." Dean exchanged a kind of helpless glance with Sam and Callie couldn't help herself. She started giggling.

"Have you heard of Oasis Plains?" Sam asked after a moment. "It's a housing development near the Akota Valley."

"I like him," Joe informed Dean. "He's not a liar." Dean looked miffed and Callie started laughing outright. Joe smiled slightly at her and then turned to Sam. "I know the area."

"What can you tell us about the history there?" Sam asked.

"Why do you want to know?" Joe countered.

"Something-" Sam began and then hesitated before beginning again. "Something bad is happening in Oasis Plains. We think it might have something to do with some old bones we found down there-Native American."

"I'll tell you what my grandfather told me. What his grandfather told him," Joe said after a moment's pause. " Two hundred years ago, a band of my ancestors lived in that valley. One day, the American cavalry came to relocate them. They were resistant, the cavalry impatient. As my grandfather put it, on the night the moon and the sun share the sky as equals, the cavalry first raided our village. They murdered, raped. The next day, the cavalry came again, and the next, and the next. And on the sixth night, the cavalry came one last time. And by the time the sun rose, every man, woman, and child still in the village was dead. They say on the sixth night, as the chief of the village lay dying, he whispered to the heavens that no white man would ever tarnish this land again. Nature would rise up and protect the valley. And it would bring as many days of misery and death to the white man as the cavalry had brought upon his people. "

"Insects," Dean said immediately. "Sounds like nature to me. Six days."

"And on the sixth day none would survive," Joe intoned. Callie felt horror twist inside her stomach.

"Larry and his family," she whispered. "Tonight's the sixth night."

They all but ran to the Impala, speeding out of the reservation. Sam and Dean tried frantically to get Larry's family out of the house, using first the ruse of a massive gas leak and then Matt in an attempt to get them away. Callie felt sicker the closer they got, watching the ever darkening sky. "Come on, come on, _come on_," she found herself muttering as they drove.

"They pulled in the drive and Callie saw Larry come out. "Damn it," Dean cussed. "They're still here."

"Get off my property before I call the cops," Larry demanded as they scrambled out of the Impala.

"Mr. Pike, listen," Sam pleaded and at the same time Matt said, "They're just trying to help."

"Get it in the house!" Larry yelled just as Callie heard a low buzzing sound. The yelling began to escalate and Callie felt tensions washing over her as Larry yelled and generally refused to believe anything.

"SHUT _UP!_" she finally screeched, unable to take it any longer. Everyone fell silent, listening to her.

"What the hell?" Larry asked as he finally heard the buzzing.

"You hear that?" Callie asked snarkily, motioning to the swarm of bugs now flying towards them. "That is the sound of your death if you don't get in the house _right now!_"

"Oh my God," Larry said but he went in the house, the others racing behind him to slam the door and lock it.

"Is there anybody else in the neighborhood?" Sam asked as bugs plinked off the glass windows like rain and Dean sent Matt for a towel to block up the bottom of the door.

"No, just us," Larry replied as his wife came out.

"Honey what's happening?" she asked. "What's that noise?" Callie wanted to scream with frustration which only got worse when they found that the power lines and phone line had been chewed through. There was no cell phone signal either because, as Sam said, the bugs were blanketing the house.

Callie found herself pacing like a caged animal as Larry asked, "So what do we do now?"

"We try to outlast," Sam replied. "Hopefully the curse ends at sunrise."

"Hopefully?" Larry asked, sounding shocked and worried. Callie began to pace faster as Dean came back with bug spray, unable to stop herself. The feeling on confinement was choking her.

"What is that?" Matt asked suddenly and Callie froze, hearing the same creaking noise as the rest of them.

"Oh no," she whispered at the same time Sam said, "The flue."

"All right," Dean spoke up as calmly as possible. "I think everybody needs to get upstairs."

"Too late," Callie said mournfully as a sudden swarm of bugs rushed in. The Pikes screamed as Sam and Callie rushed them upstairs, using the bug spray and a lighter to ward off the bugs. They just managed to get upstairs and safely hidden in the attic when sawdust began falling from the ceiling.

"Oh God what's that?" Joanie gasped, sounding utterly panicked.

"Something's eating through the wood," Dean and Callie said at the exact same time, neither one bothering to argue about who was copying who like they normally would have.

"Termites," Matt said, sounding as if he wished he didn't know.

"All right," Dean said and Callie could see his eyes were wide. "Everybody get back! Get back, get back, get back!" But it didn't matter because the bugs came rushing in. There wasn't enough spray in the bottle and Callie felt panic closing in when, bizarrely, her cell phone began to ring. As if on cue the bugs rushed out through the whole in the ceiling.

"What?" Callie asked after a moment, finding everyone staring at her as her phone continued to ring.

"Did you call up a miracle somehow?" Dean finally asked after a moment as her phone stopped, going to voicemail.

"No," Callie replied, suddenly realizing who was calling. "Sunrise." She pointed and as the Pikes and two Winchesters looked up her phone began ringing again. "I'm going to take this." She headed out of the attic and down the stairs, almost outside before she answered. "Hello?"

"Good morning Callie," Sparrow replied. "I've found something."

"And?" Callie asked.

"It's them." Callie felt her stomach sink through her feet as Dean took her elbow and led her to the Impala so they could head back to the hotel room and pack up. "I'm sorry," Sparrow said after a moment.

"Not your fault," Callie said numbly, tilting her head back to stare at the ceiling. "Thanks Sparrow."

Callie was packed and watching Dean and Sam say their good byes before she thought to call Kaila. She dialed the number and waited while it rang four times before her friend answered. "Yeah?"

"I've got news," Callie said without preamble.

"What?" Kaila asked, suddenly sounding more alert.

"It's them," Callie said. "We probably have a week or two before they sell her out."

"I'm on it," Kaila said. "I'll call you if I have news." Then she hung up like usual. Callie didn't care.

She turned to the Winchester boys in time to hear Dean say, "Well don't worry. We'll find him and then you'll apologize. And then within five minutes you guys will be at each other's throats."

"Thrilling," Callie drawled, grinning at them. "Let's go, shall we?"

"Sure," Dean replied amiably, already heading for the driver's seat. Callie took one last look at the neighborhood and slipped in the back, ready to move on. She'd had enough bugs for a lifetime.


	36. Home::01

_Onward to the next episode. Thanks to _Amelia Delling_ and _tigereyekum_ for reviewing the last chapter! I own nothing of Supernatural you recognize._

* * *

The hotel room was feeling cramped as Callie paced across the floor. Neither of the Winchesters glanced up at her, a fact for which she was glad seeing that otherwise she would have snapped at them. The last few days had worn hard on her as she, Kaila, and Sparrow waited for any news about Arden. "All right," Dean spoke up suddenly, breaking the silence. " I've been cruisin' some websites. I think I found a few candidates for our next gig. A fishing trawler found off the coast of Cali –- its crew vanished. And, uh, we got some cattle mutilations in West Texas. " Sam didn't respond and Callie checked her phone for new messages. "Hey," Dean prodded. "Am I boring you guys with this hunting evil stuff?"

"No, we're listening," Sam said, glancing at Callie who nodded in confirmation. "Keep going."

"And, here, a Sacramento man shot himself in the head. Three times," Dean continued, leaning over to wave a hand in Sam's face. "Any of these things blowin' up your skirt, pal?"

"_Dean_," Callie said in an exasperated tone at the exact same moment Sam said, "Wait. I've seen this."

"Seen what?" Dean asked but Sam ignored his brother, scrambling to his feet and digging through his bag. "What are you doing?"

"I know where we need to go next," Sam said instead of answering Dean's question. Callie settled down on Sam's abandoned bed, waiting patiently for an answer. The sense that there was an impending mission hummed in the air, making her feel calmer than she had for days.

"Where?" Dean asked, visibly deciding to humor his little brother.

"Back home," Sam replied, still staring at the pictures. "Back to Kansas."

"Okay," Dean said slowly, eyes wide. "Random. Where did this come from?"

"All right, um, this photo was taken in front of our old house, right?" Sam held the two pictures out to Dean who looked at them and nodded, obviously not understanding. "The house where Mom died?"

"Yeah," Dean replied, shooting a look at Callie who shrugged, just as mystified as the older Winchester.

"And it didn't burn down, right?" Sam continued. "I mean, not completely. They rebuilt it, right?"

"I guess so, yeah," Dean replied, becoming impatient. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Okay, look," Sam replied, suddenly nervous. "This is gonna sound crazy but..." He paused and paced a couple steps before turning back to his brother. "The people who live in our old house- I think they might be in danger."

"Why would you think that?"

"Uh...It's just...umm," Sam stammered, visibly agitated. "Look, just trust me on this, okay?" Sam turned and headed away from Dean, his eyes searching every which way for an escape.

"Wait, whoa, whoa," Dean protested. "Trust you?"

"_Dean_," Callie said in an exasperated voice. "Do you mean to say you don't trust your brother?" She stood and placed a hand on Sam's shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile as Dean backtracked.

"No but-I mean," Dean stammered slightly, looking irritated. "This whole thing is a little weak. I need a better reason than just trust me."

"I really can't explain it is all," Sam protested, tensing. Callie slid her hand down and held his, squeezing it comfortingly.

"Well tough," Dean said shortly. "I'm not going anywhere until you do."

Sam sighed, squeezing Callie's hand tightly as Dean waited. "I have these nightmares."

"I've noticed," Dean said.

"_Dean_," Callie warned. "Shut. Up."

"And sometimes," Sam paused and swallowed hard, squeezing Callie's hand once more before releasing it and turning to face Dean. "And sometimes they come true."

There was a pause and then Dean and Callie both said, "Come again?"

"Look Dean, Callie," Sam said. "I dreamt about Jessica's death for days before it happened." Callie winced and mouthed an apology to Sam who managed a weak smile for her in return.

"Sam, people have weird dreams man," Dean said. "I'm sure it's a coincidence."

"No, I dreamt about the blood dripping, her on the ceiling, the fire, everything, and I didn't do anything about it 'cause I didn't believe it. And now I'm dreaming about that tree, about our house, and about some woman inside screaming for help. I mean, that's where it all started, man, this has to mean something, right?" Sam was looking lost and almost terrified and almost as if he wished he could take all the words back. Callie leaned over and slipped her hand into Sam's again, trying to calm him.

"I don't know," Dean said softly.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Sam snapped and then took a deep breath, letting it out and letting Callie pull him down to sit on the bed. "This woman might be in danger," he tried again. "I mean this might be the thing that killed Mom and Jess!"

"All right, slow down," Dean said, beginning to pace. "I mean first you tell me you've got the Shining and then you tell me I've got to go home? Especially when..." Dean trailed off and sank down on the bed across from Sam and Callie.

"When what?" Sam prodded gently.

"When I swore to myself I'd never go there again," Dean replied and Sam looked instantly guilty.

"Look," Callie said, knowing instantly Sam was going to back off. "I know Sammy's too guilty to say anything now but we _have_ to check this out. Just in case."

"Yeah," Dean replied heavily. "I know."

"Then let's get packing boys," Callie said. "We have work to do."

Miles away Arden Murphy was waking up. Blue eyes blinked heavily and then flickered open as she pulled in a breath through her burning throat. Her mind felt foggy and it was a struggle to remember what had happened before she had been knocked out. She vaguely remembered waiting outside the car for Kaila to get back with her dress from the dry cleaners. Then she remembered hands around her throat and not being able to breathe. She remembered struggling, gasping, and then nothing.

"Oh good. You're awake," a cool female voice said. Arden tilted her head back as far as she could to see who was speaking.

"Ah," she said shortly. "Raquel."

"What?" the Hispanic girl asked mockingly. "No hug?"

"Well," Arden drawled dryly. "I'm kind of tied down to a chair but if you want to untie me I'll give you one."

"After you smash my head in," Raquel finished dryly, flicking dark hair away from her face. "No thank you. Besides there's someone who'll pay good money for you alive and unharmed."

"Who?" Arden asked, fully sarcastic now. "The monkeys at the zoo? They're about at your level of communication." Raquel growled and slapped Arden across the face hard enough that the blond knew it would bruise. "Well?" Arden taunted. "I'm waiting."

"Oh you'll figure out the answer," Raquel said with a wicked smile and then turned and sauntered out of the room.

They pulled up at the old Winchester house at two o'clock in the afternoon. "You gonna be all right?" Sam asked as Dean parked the car in the driveway.

"Let me get back to you on that," Dean replied, getting out of the car. They walked in a group and Dean knocked on the door.

A pretty young woman answered the door and asked, "Yes?"

"Sorry to bother you ma'am-" Dean began but Sam interrupted him.

"I'm Sam Winchester," he said. "And this is my brother Dean and his girl Callie. We used to live here. You know we were just driving by and we were wondering if we could come see the old place."

"Winchester," the woman said thoughtfully. "Yeah, that's so funny. You know, I think I found some of your photos the other night."

"You did?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," the woman replied, stepping out of the way. "Come on in."

"Well that was easy," Callie whispered in Dean's ear before they stepped into the house.

"Juice! Juice! Juice! Juice!" a voice suddenly called and Callie felt a smile slip on her face as they followed the woman into the kitchen.

"That's Ritchie," the woman said. "He's kind of a juice junkie but at least he doesn't get dirty." She handed him a sippy cup and smiled at them. "I'm Jenny and this is my daughter Sari. Sari, these are Sam, Dean, and Callie. Sam and Dean used to live here."

"Hi," the little girl said, looking up from her picture.

"Hi sweetheart," Callie said, kneeling down next to Sari as Sam and Dean talked to Jenny. "What'cha drawing?"

"The monster," Sari replied.

"Monster?" Callie asked, feeling worried. "What monster?"

"The one in my closet."

Jenny must have heard because she said, "Sari honey. There's no monster in the closet. You were having a nightmare."

"No I wasn't," Sari protested. "It came into my bedroom and it was on fire." Callie felt her muscles stiffen but she managed a reassuring smile for Sari.

"You probably scared it just as much as it scared you," Callie told the girl gently.

"Really?" Sari asked.

"Really sweetheart," Callie replied, smiling once more before standing as Jenny handed Sam the pictures.

"Thanks for talking to us," Sam said as she led them to the door.

"No problem," Jenny replied. "And thanks for reassuring Sari," she added, turning to Callie.

"No problem," Callie said cheerfully. "She reminds me of my little sister." Jenny smiled and ushered them out.

"You hear that?" Sam asked as they walked to the Impala. "A figure on fire."

"And that woman, Jenny, that was the woman in your dreams?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," Sam said. "And did you hear what she was talking about? Scratching, flickering lights, both signs of a malevolent spirit."

"Yeah, well, I'm just freaked out that your weirdo visions are comin' true," Dean replied, sounding rather shell shocked.

"Well, forget about that for a minute," Sam said, suddenly sounding panicked as they slipped into the Impala. "The thing in the house, do you think it's the thing that killed Mom and Jessica?"

"Whoa, whoa," Callie said before Dean could explode. "One thing at a time Sammy. We'll take this live every other hunt."

"We dig into the history of the house," Sam said as they headed for a gas station. "But how much do we actually know? I mean how much do you remember?"

"About that night, you mean?" Dean asked. Callie settled in, watching the two of them curiously.

"Yeah," Sam replied.

"Not much," Dean said slowly. "I remember the fire. The heat. And then I carried you out the front door."

"You did?"

"Yeah," Dean said, shooting his brother a sideways glance. "You never knew that?"

"No," Sam said, shaking his head.

"Well you know the rest of Dad's story as well as I do," Dean finished. "Mom was-was on the ceiling and whatever put her there was long gone by the time Dad got there."

"And he never had a theory about what did?"

"If he did he kept it to himself," Dean returned. "God knows we asked him enough times."

"Okay," Callie said, breaking the silence. "We have to figure out if what is happening now is the same thing that happened them." It was as if she had suddenly broken some kind of spell. Both boys turned to look at her and then each other.

"Yeah," Dean said finally, shaking his head as if shaking off water. "We'll talk to Dad's friends, neighbors, people who were here at the time."

There was a long pause and then Sam asked, "Does this feel like just another job to you?"

"I'll be right back," Dean said after a moment. "I gotta go to the bathroom." Then he was gone. Callie and Sam exchanged glances and then shrugged, Sam slipping out to fill the Impala and Callie fishing in her bag to call Kaila and ask for an update.


	37. Home::02

_Thanks to _Carver Edlund_ (glad you like the add ons) for reviewing the last chapter! I own nothing of Supernatural you recognize._

* * *

While Sam and Dean talked to the owner of a local garage Callie talked to Kaila. "There's nothing yet," her Puerto Rican friend said, managing to sound both nervous and annoyed at the same time. "And whoever took her has covered their tracks well. Sparrow thinks our best bet will be to find Arden when she re-emerges to be traded."

"But what if she doesn't show back up?" Callie asked, not because she wanted to consider that possibility but because she had to. "What if she's dead?"

"Dios mio," Kaila said the way someone would say a favorite cuss word. "You always look on the bright side, don't you Callie?"

"Only on days that end in a y," Callie shot back dryly. "But seriously?"

"Then we find the body, salt and burn it, and hunt down and kill the bastards that knock her off," Kaila said vehemently.

"Sounds like a plan," Callie said. She saw Sam and Dean returning out of the corner of her eye and knew it was time to end the call. "Talk to you later Kai."

"Adios," the girl replied, already yelling at someone in her house when Callie hung up the phone.

"Any news?" Dean asked, being surprisingly considerate as he and Sam slipped back into the Impala, Sam with a phone book.

"Nothing," Callie said. "How about your end?"

"Dad talked to some psychic or palm reader after Mom died," Dean said as Sam began flipping through the phone book.

"All right," he said after a moment of searching. "So there are a few psychics and palm readers in town. There's someone named El Divino. There's, uh-" He paused and laughed a moment, probably at the name. "The Mysterious Mister Fortinsky. Uh, Missouri Moseley-"

"Wait, wait," Dean interrupted before his brother could go on. "Missouri Moseley?"

"What?" Sam asked.

"That's a psychic?" Dean asked.

"Yes boy wonder," Callie said impatiently. "Your brother just said so."

"In Dad's journal," Dean said, flat out ignoring Callie. "Here, look at this. First page, first sentence. Read that."

"I went to Missouri and I learned the truth," Sam read softly. He and Callie exchanged wide eyed glances.

"I always thought he meant the state," Dean said with a shrug. Neither of his companions commented. They opted for slipping into the Impala instead. Missouri's house was fairly nice and the instead was neat and pristine. It reminded Callie of Kaila's apartment after they had cleaned everything up from her family's Christmas gathering; immaculate. Of course Kaila's apartment didn't tend to stay that clean with Arden around. Their blond haired friend was a notorious hoarder.

Missouri turned out to be a black woman who was ushering who looked like a business man out of the house. "All right, there. Don't you worry 'bout a thing. Your wife is crazy about you," she said, shooing him out the door and shutting it firmly behind him. Then she said, "Whew," and turned to look at the three with a slight twinkle in her eye. "Poor bastard. His wife is cold-bangin' the gardener."

"Why didn't you tell him?" Dean asked, sounding mystified.

"People don't come here for the truth," Missouri said in a matter of fact tone. "They come for good news." They stared at her and she sighed in exasperation. "Well? Come on already. I don't have all day." Callie shrugged and followed her into the next room with the boys behind her. "Well lemme look at you." She looked the boys over and then laughed. "Oh you boys grew up handsome-" She pointed at Dean. "And you were one goofy-lookin' kid too." Dean glared, Sam smirked, and Callie covered her mouth to muffle a giggle. "Sam," she added, reaching out to grasp his hand. "Oh honey-I'm sorry about your girlfriend. And your father-he's missing?"

"How'd you know all that?" Sam asked stunned.

"Well you were thinkin' it just now," Missouri replied in the same matter of fact tone she had used since the start.

"Well where is he?" Dean demanded. "Is he okay?"

"I don't know," came the succinct reply.

"Don't know," Dean repeated incredulously. "Well you're supposed to be a psychic, right?"

"Honey," Missouri said, turning to Callie. "Keep your boy under control will you?"

"What?" Callie sputtered, shocked. "He's not my anything."

"Really?" Missouri asked thoughtfully and Callie turned a mystified glance at Sam who shrugged. "Well listen here boy," she continued, turning to Dean. "You see me sawin' some bony tramp in half? You think I'm a magician? I may be able to read thoughts and sense energies in a room, but I can't just pull facts out of thin air. Sit please." They sat, Sam smirking again. Suddenly Missouri turned to Dean and snapped, "Boy, you put your foot on my coffee table, I'm 'a wack you with a spoon."

Callie couldn't help herself-she doubled over with laughter at the utterly lost expression on Dean's face. "I didn't do anything," Dean finally protested and Callie started laughing harder.

"But you were thinkin' bout it," Missouri replied sternly.

"Okay," Sam said as Callie forced down the laughter. "So, our dad-when did you first meet him?"

"He came for a reading. A few days after the fire. I just told him what was really out there in the dark. I guess you could say I drew back the curtains for him," Missouri answered promptly.

"What about the fire?" Dean cut in. "Do you know what killed our mom?"

"A little," Missouri answered. "Your daddy took me to your house. He was hopin' I could sense echoes, the fingerprints of the thing."

"And could you?" Sam questioned.

"I-" Missouri hesitated and shook her head slightly, glancing down at her coffee table.

"What was it?" Sam asked gently.

"I don't know," Missouri replied in a hushed voice. "Oh but it was evil." She glanced up then, looking at the three. "Why do you ask?"

"I-" Sam hesitated and Callie nudged him lightly with her shoulder. He smiled at her and then turned back to Missouri. "I had a dream about our old house and lately my dreams have been coming true."

"Oh honey," Missouri said with a gentle smile. "So you saw something that made you think there's something in the old house?"

"Definitely," Sam replied.

"I don't understand," Missouri said, more to herself than to them.

"What?"

" I haven't been back inside, but I've been keepin' an eye on the place, and it's been quiet. No sudden deaths, no freak accidents. Why is it actin' up now?" Missouri told them.

"I don't know. But Dad going missing and Jessica dying and now this house all happening at once – it just feels like something's starting," Sam said in a rush.

"That's a comforting thought," Dean said darkly and Callie had to agree with him.

"There's only one thing for it," Missouri said briskly. "I'll have to go check the house myself."

Jenny answered the door with Ritchie clutched in her arms. "Sam, Dean, Callie," she said in a weak voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey Jenny," Sam began. "This is our friend Missouri."

"If it's not too much trouble, we were hoping to show her the old house. You know, for old time's sake," Dean cut in.

"You know, this isn't a good time. I'm kind of busy," Jenny said, her eyes wide with something that was almost fear.

"Listen Jenny, it's important-" Dean started and Missouri wacked him on the back of the head just as Callie slapped her hand over his mouth. "Ow," he mumbled, the sound muffled by Callie's hand.

"Give the poor girl a break, can't you see she's upset?" Missouri snapped at Dean, winking at Callie. "Forgive this boy, he means well, he's just not the sharpest tool in the shed, but hear me out." Jenny looked stunned as Callie warily uncovered Dean's mouth.

"About what?" Jenny asked.

"About the house."

"What are you talking about?" Jenny questioned, trying to sound confused and failing.

"I think you know what I'm talking about. You think there's something in this house, something that wants to hurt your family. Am I mistaken?" Missouri asked, sounding as if she already knew the answer.

"Who are you?" Jenny asked weakly.

"We're people who can help, who can stop this thing. But you're gonna have to trust us, just a little." Jenny still looked nervous and unsure of them after Missouri finished.

"If not for you then for Sari and Ritchie," Callie said and Jenny's face firmed.

"Come in," she said, stepping aside to let them in. Missouri headed straight for the stairs and they followed her, Jenny staying behind. They were just in the upstairs hallway when Callie's cell started ringing.

"You'd best get that," Missouri said as she led Sam and Dean into a room. Callie didn't question the woman-she answered the phone.

"Yeah," she said.

"Sparrow got something," Kaila said in a rush the instant she answered the phone. "She went back on the security tapes in the couple minutes before Arden was taken. She caught Raquel Rodriguez on tape just before the cameras went out."

"Dios mio," Callie snapped, borrowing a line from Kaila's book. "If I ever find that girl I'm going to rip her to pieces." Raquel's feud with Arden was no secret. Once, a long time ago, Arden had done an unforgiveable thing. The pair had been on a hunt together and Arden had heard Raquel scream. Thinking her friend was hurt, she had run into the next room to see Raquel being attacked. Arden had done the logical thing; she had shot the attacker.

The bullet had punched straight through the demon possessed man and hit Raquel in the ribs, hospitalizing her. Arden had cleaned up the next day but Raquel had never forgiven her. It didn't come to any shock then that Raquel would sell out her once best friend for revenge. "Sparrow's searching for any place Raquel's been in the past month," Kaila said, sounding angrier than Callie had ever heard her. "We're going to track down Raquel and if Arden isn't still there she'll pay." There was a click then and Kaila hung up the phone, leaving Callie fuming in the hallway.

"We're going back to Missouri's house to prepare," Dean announced from behind Callie. "We've got a poltergeist to banish." Callie nodded, pushing thoughts of Arden and Raquel aside. They had work to do.


	38. Home::03

_So since I have extra time today I'm going to finish off Home in this chapter. Thanks to _Carver Edlund_ and _caz21_ (Thanks!) who have already reviewed the last chapter! I own nothing of Supernatural you recognize._

* * *

An hour before sunset found them sitting in Missouri's kitchen with an assortment of roots and herbs. "So what is all this stuff?" Dean asked.

"Angelica Root, Van Van oil, crossroad dirt, a few other odds and ends," Missouri said, beginning to divide them up in bundles.

"Yeah?" Dean replied, still sounding lost. "What are we supposed to do with them?"

"We're gonna put them inside the walls in the north, south, east, west corners on each floor of the house."

"We'll be punching holes in the drywall," Dean said. "Jenny's going to love that."

"She'll live," Callie said, beginning to help Missouri. She had seen Kaila do this once or twice before and while Arden hadn't had the patience Callie had helped every time.

"And this'll destroy the spirits?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Callie said dismissively before Missouri could answer. "But we'll have to work fast. The longer it takes the more danger we'll be in."

"You sound like you've done this before," Dean commented.

"Once or twice," Callie said with a shrug. "Old houses tend to collect angry spirits."

"We'll each take a floor," Missouri said as they finished the bundles. "Now let's go. Time's a wastin'."

Missouri ushered Jenny outside while Sam and Callie headed upstairs. Dean was taking the main floor and Missouri the basement. "We'll split up and then help the others," Sam said and Callie nodded. She had just finished placing her packets when she heard a door slam. Her stomach suddenly dropped through the floor. She turned and sprinted for the room she knew Sam should be in by now. Sure enough the door was shut and Callie couldn't turn the handle.

"You okay up there?" Dean called as Callie backed up a few steps.

"We've run into a slightly problem," she called back, closing her eyes for a minute to calm herself. Once a few years ago Hunter had showed her how to break down doors. Their only excuse had been that it was a rainy day and they had been bored. Regardless of the reasoning it was about to prove useful. Callie sprinted and slammed into the door, sending it banging open just as she heard Dean on the stairs.

Sam was lying on the ground being strangled by a lamp cord. Dean tried to pull the cord off while Callie kicked a hole in the wall, ignoring the flash of pain in her foot. She shoved the bundle through the hole in the wall and there was a flash of white. When everything came back into view Callie saw Dean pull the cord off Sam's neck and hug his little brother as Sam gasped for breath. "Never doing that again," Callie mumbled, leaning against the wall.

Finally they stumbled their way downstairs to the kitchen where Missouri was waiting. "You sure this is over?" Sam asked as they heard Jenny's car pull in the driveway.

"I'm sure," Missouri said. "Why do you ask?"

"Never mind," Sam responded, shaking his head. "It's nothing I guess." They all looked up as they heard the door open and footsteps as Jenny walked in.

"Hello?" she called. "We're home." Then she walked into the kitchen and her eyes widened. "What happened?"

"Hi," Sam replied sheepishly. "Sorry about the mess. We'll pay for it."

"We'll help clean up," Callie added, straightening up and tugging on Dean's arm. They left the house an hour later but that didn't mean they left. Well Missouri left but Sam, Dean, and Callie stayed in the Impala. Watching.

"All right," Dean said after an hour of quiet. "So tell me again; what are we still doing here?"

"I don't know," Sam responded, not taking his eyes off the house. "I just...I still have a bad feeling."

"Why? Missouri did her whole Zelda Rubenstein thing, the house should be clean, it should be over."

"Should be," Callie spoke up. "Is not all that reassuring. We're staying." Sam sent her a grateful look as Dean grumbled but turned back to watch the house. After a few minutes Dean turned away. Callie was about to when she saw something move in the window. "Sam?"

"Dean," Sam said instantly. "Look." Dean turned in time to see Jenny screaming.

"You two grab the kids," Dean ordered. "I'll get Jenny."

"Way ahead of you," Callie said, scrambling out of the car and sprinting toward the house. "I've got Sari," Callie called, heading for the little girl's room as Sam went for Ritchie. "Don't look," she told the little girl, ushering her past the closet where a burning mass was emerging. Callie guessed it was the bogeyman Sari had talked about earlier. They scrambled out of Sari's bedroom and into the hall, almost colliding with Sam and Ritchie. They shot down the stairs, Sam pausing to hand Ritchie to Sari.

"All right, Sari, take your brother outside as fast as you can, and don't look back," Sam said before something yanked him to the floor and pulled him back. Sari screamed, eyes wide.

"Go," Callie ordered, shoving the little girl and little and sprinting in the direction Sam had gone. She found Sam pinned against the cabinets. She had taken one step into the room when something yanked her feet out from under her, sending her flying into a wall. She was trying to climb to her feet when the knife punched through her hand.

Callie bit down a scream of pain and tried to yank it out, only to have the force drive it further in. The fiery thing, evidentially having escaped from Sari's closet, was in the room now, walking toward Sam. Callie bit down another scream, ignoring the tears of pain pouring down her face, and tried to yank the knife up again. "Sam?" she heard Dean yell. "Sam!"

"No! Don't!" Sam yelled and Callie looked up to see Dean standing between Sam and the burning thing.

"What? Why?" Dean demanded.

"Because I can see her now." That was when Callie noticed the flames were fading. In there place stood a woman.

"Mom?" Dean asked and Callie gasped softly. Mary Winchester smiled at the boys.

"Dean," she said softly. "Sam. I'm sorry."

"For what?" Sam asked through tears. Mary just glanced at him sadly before turning to glare at the ceiling.

"You get out of my house," she demanded. "And let go of my son." The flames were back, burning higher and higher until they vanished and Sam fell from the wall.

"Now it's over," she heard Sam say, slumped on the floor. Callie reached for the knife and tugged on it, unable to stop a scream from escaping behind gritted teeth. Eyes watering she slumped against the floor, trembling with pain. She felt a knee on her back, holding her down.

"This is gonna hurt," she heard Dean say and the comment had just enough time to sink in before he yanked out the knife. Callie bit down a screech, her back arching for a moment before she slumped against the floor. "Hey Sammy, get some gauze," she heard Dean say. "And call Missouri." There was a pause and then Dean helped pull her up, glancing with concern at her tear streaked face. "Hey, you okay?"

Callie pulled in a shuddering breath as the world swirled around her for a moment before settling. Then she nodded. Suddenly, unexpectedly, his arms were around her. Callie was shaking too badly to resist. Instead she buried her head in his shoulder, trembling and waiting for the pain to pass.

It was sunrise when they finally got out of Jenny's house. Dean watched Missouri finish talking to Jenny and then walk over to him. "So explain to me what's going on between you an' that girl," she demanded and Dean didn't have to ask what girl she was talking about.

"Nothing," he said instead. "She likes Sammy." He saw a smile then tugging at the psychic's mouth and asked, "What?"

"Oh honey," Missouri said, laughter in her voice. "That girl, she likes your brother the same way she loved that little sister of hers. There's nothing more goin' on there. They were just kiddin' you."

"Then why did she never say anything?" Dean shot back.

"She'll tell you in time," Missouri replied with a sad smile. "But right now suffice to say it's not your brother she's in love with." Then Missouri patted his shoulder and walked over to talk to Sam. Dean glanced at Callie. The girl was kneeling next to Sari, bandaged hand cradled against her chest. Her eyes were serious as she listened to the little girl and she seemed to say all the right things because Sari was grinning. The little girl skipped off after hugging Callie quickly and the blond looked up, her eyes meeting his. She flushed slightly and glanced down at the ground before glancing at Sam, then back at the ground. Dean turned to Missouri who winked at him and turned back to Sam.

"You ready Sam?" Dean called. Sam nodded and headed for the Impala where Dean was waiting, Callie on his heels.

"Don't you boys be strangers," Missouri called after them.

"We won't," Dean responded.

"See you around," the psychic said as Sam and Callie around at the car.

"Hey Callie," Dean said and she turned, seeming a little surprised at how close to her he was. He intended to take advantage of that surprise. He kissed her lightly and when he pulled back she was flushing slightly.

"It took a psychic to get you to figure out a girl likes you," he heard Sam say from behind him. "You're slipping Dean."

"Maybe just a little," he said, winking at Callie who grinned before slipping into the Impala. "Now let's hit the road."


	39. Asylum::01

_So Asylum is going to be fairly short (probably only two entires) and you'll understand why when you finish this chapter. I also made a trailer for Unforgettable (which turned out to take much longer than I had anticipated). A link to it will be posted on my profile. It'd be great if you guys would check it out and let me know what you think. Thanks to _Carver Edlund_, _turtlethewriter_, _tigereyekum_ (it will indeed), and _Amelia Delling_ for reviewing the last chapter! I own nothing of Supernatural you recognize._

* * *

She had lost track of time a while ago. Arden Murphy stretched against the cuffs as best she could as the door behind her opened. She wrinkled her nose when she smelled cigarette smoke carried in on the breath of fresh air. "Those things are gonna kill you some day," she told Raquel.

"Not soon enough to save you," Raquel replied, sauntering into view. The Hispanic woman was wearing a tight red tank top and dark colored jeans to go with her typical battered cowboy boots. "We're moving tonight."

"Again?" Arden asked, arching her eyebrows at her former friend. This would be the third time they had moved positions since she had been captured.

"Your nosy friends keep getting too close for comfort and my buyer isn't cooperating," Raquel said with a scowl. Over the past few days Raquel and Arden had developed an uneasy, at best, relationship. That meant every time Kaila, Sparrow, and Callie got too close Raquel came to her to vent before finding a new spot to stash her prisoner.

"You took me," Arden said with a half shrug, past the point of being angry with Raquel. "They're bound to be nosy. It's what I would have been if someone had taken you." Raquel gave Arden an odd, almost puzzled, look before shaking out long tresses and leaving the room.

Callie lay on one of the hotel beds, eyes shut and injured hand aching. She could hear Sam's voice as he talked on the phone but she had lost track of the conversation sometime after the pain medication had worn off. Now her hand throbbed in time with heartbeat. Callie was at the point that she should have been drifting off to sleep, mind no longer keeping track of conversation, but the constant throb of pain kept her awake.

That wasn't to say her hand wasn't healing, and faster than the average human's, but for her it was painfully slow. It also made her unable to use her right hand, at least she couldn't if she wanted it to heal up quickly. Part of her mind heard a cell ringing and Dean scrambling to find it, muttering the entire time. Her hand gave another throb of pain and she sighed, pulling herself out of the layers of calm and into the real world. "Whose phone?" she mumbled, allowing her eyes to drift open and stare at the off white ceiling.

"Mine," Dean mumbled, finally coming up with the offending object. "Huh. I don't believe it."

"What?" Sam asked and Callie jerked herself fully upright so she could glance at the two.

"It's uh...a text message with coordinates." Callie arched an eyebrow as Dean yanked the laptop over and began typing.

"You think Dad was texting us?"

"He's given us coordinates before."

"The man can barely work a _toaster_ Dean," Sam said in exasperation but Callie could hear the hope in his voice.

"A toaster is a little more complicated than modern day texting," she said dryly as Dean waited impatiently for whatever he had searched to load.

"Well was there a number on the caller ID?" Sam asked, dropping one issue and moving on to the next.

"Nah," Dean drawled dismissively. "It said unknown."

"Where do the coordinates lead too?" Callie asked before Sam could start an argument.

"That's the interesting part," Dean said with a grin for her. "Rockford, Illinois."

"Ok," Sam spoke up. "And that's interesting how?"

"I checked the local Rockford paper," Dean replied, snatching it up and tossing it at Sam. "Check it out."

"Local cop Walter Kelly comes home from his shift, shoots his wife, and then shoots himself," Sam summarized after a moment of reading.

"That's sad and all," Callie spoke up. "But what does it have to do with us?"

"Dad earmarked the asylum in his journal," Dean explained, already flipping through it. "Here. Seven unconfirmed sightings. Two deaths-til last week at least. I think this is where he wants us to go."

"This is a job," Sam said, rolling his eyes. "Dad wants us to work a _job_."

"Well maybe we'll meet up with him," Dean said. "Maybe he's there."

"Whoa,whoa,whoa," Callie said, holding up her uninjured hand to stop him. "Sorry to be the one to rain on your parade but how do you even know it's him?"

"Callie's right," Sam said. "I mean, come on Dean, doesn't this strike you as weird? No contact since we started this and now coordinates texted out of the blue."

"Sam!" Dean snapped. "Dad's telling us to go somewhere . We're _going_."

"And what about me?" Callie snapped, now wide awake. "Don't I get a say in this?"

"No!" Dean snapped, already packing things up. Callie blinked, eyes wide and breath harsh as if she'd been slapped. "Come on guys! We're wasting daylight!"

"No," Callie said flatly, not budging from the bed.

"What?" Dean squawked, turning to gape at her.

"I said no," Callie said, still in a monotone voice as she fought to keep her emotions from her face. "We're not going."

A range of emotions flitted across Dean's face before it hardened and he asked in a cold, sharp voice, "Why?"

"Because we don't even know if it's your father that sent the message," Callie burst out, fighting down tears of hurt.

"I thought you'd-" Dean started and shook his head, not bother to finish his sentence. He didn't have to. Callie could fill in the blanks herself with too many words. "I thought we'd-" Ah, that cleared it up. _I thought we'd stick together after what happened in Kansas_. The tears were impossible to hide know.

"You know what," she said coolly, forcing her voice not to shake. "I thought so too." Then she leaned over and scooped up her already packed bag, shoving her feet into her shoes and grabbing her jacket on the way out the door. She didn't turn back. She did, however, make a phone call.

"Hello? This is the Harris household, Suzanna speaking."

"Hey Sparrow," Callie said. "I have a favor to ask of you."

"Yes?" Sparrow asked.

"Do you happen to know anyone in Rockford, Illinois?"

"Yes," Sparrow said slowly. "Why?"

"Because the guys are heading that direction."

"You're not going?"

"No," Callie replied and her voice wavered.

"Oh," Sparrow said. One small, soft "Oh" full of understanding. "I'm sorry Callie."

"It's not your fault," Callie returned. "Look, just tell whoever you know there to keep an eye out for them and give them my number to call me if anything goes wrong."

"I promise," Sparrow said. There was a pause and then she added, "Do you need a ride?"

"No," Callie returned. "I'm getting on a bus and going to Chicago to see Kaila."

"Good luck. And may the wind be always at your back."

"And the sun shine on your face," Callie finished with the ritual they used whenever something had gone majorly wrong. "Bye Sparrow." Then she hung up went in the small office to buy a Greyhound ticket to Chicago.


	40. Asylum::02

_So I figured I'd better post it before you guys decide to throw tomatoes over the whole Dean/Callie situation. I own nothing of Supernatural you recognize._

* * *

The bus ride was painfully long and Callie couldn't sleep for most of it because of her throbbing hand. She was practically tripping over her feet at four the next morning as she stumbled up the steps to Kaila's apartment. She kicked the door with a foot as a knock, too tired to actually lift her hand. When no one answered Callie kicked the door again. "Dios mio-I'm coming!" an irritated voice called and the relief Callie felt at hearing it made the tears flow.

"God above you're leaking," were the first words out of Kaila Acosta's mouth the instant she opened the door. "What happened?"

"M'Sorry," Callie mumbled, wiping away tears with her sleeve. "M'Jus' tired."

"Then come in and crash before you pass out in my doorway," Kaila ordered, practically dragging her friend into the apartment. "And try to tell me who you're hiding from too."

"In my bag," Callie mumbled, dumping the bag on the floor and sinking down on the couch. "One page paper shoved in my wallet. Front in back."

"Got it," Kaila replied already digging through the bag as Callie's incredibly heavy eyes drifted shut.

_It was so quiet her ears were ringing with it. Callie surveyed the empty cell with trepidation, waiting to see who or what they would send in. A dull screeching sound caught her attention and she moved with a feline grace that she had to fight even now to keep from creeping out to see a section of the wall literally rise off the ground to reveal a long stretch of hallway beyond. The floor glowed a dull color that was slowly rising to red and as she stepped forward she could feel heat begin to radiate off it. A rat maze. Just great._

_Taking a deep breath she sprinted down the hall, ignoring the heat blazing across her bare feet, and turned left. The new hallway hadn't heated up yet so she slowed to a smooth walk, turning right and then left again. The patterns on the maze and the punishments for staying in a hall too long went through a twelve step cycle and while Callie didn't have all the punishments memorized she knew the twelve different maze patterns._

_Another left set her closer to the exit and there were only two more turns till the end. She was just at the end of the hall when she heard the scream. Dream Callie's feet turned and moved her in the wrong direction even though she knew what she'd seen. A little girl with black, black eyes writhing as electricity danced across her skin. Her bloody fingers would scrabble across the glass, leaving long red streaks as she clawed at it with stumps between shocks. _

_Callie turned the corner and arrived at the gruesome sight just as the shocking stopped, dropping the girl to the floor. Instantly her features began to change, muscles shifting until she was taller. The girl paused and waved fresh fingers at Callie before gnawing them off again. Dream Callie watched, captivated with a sick sense of fascination and revulsion, just as she had during the real life event. The girl spit out the fingertip and smiled a bloody smile at Callie before beginning to work on the next one. Callie's stomach heaved and twisted as the ground beneath her began to blaze with heat. She turned and ran to the exit, banging on the end door and collapsing on cool tile floor when it opened. Her whole body convulsed as vomit tumbled from her mouth to the floor._

Her phone beeping was what pulled Callie out of the memory. She jerked upright, staring at the setting sun, and then scrambled for her bag, digging her phone out. The number on caller idea was unfamiliar and she hesitated for a moment before answering it. "Hello?"

"Callie Colton?" a girl's voice asked nervously.

"Yeah," Callie said impatiently.

"This is Katherine, Kat," the girl said in a rush. "Suzanna's my second cousin and she said to call you if anything went wrong with the Winchester brothers."

"What happened?" Callie asked, clutching the phone tighter.

Kat's words spilled over one another as she explained about the asylum and the ghost that was haunting it. "You have to come quick," Kat said tearfully at the end. "Because I've got a really bad feeling about this."

"I'm coming," Callie reassured the girl. "Just hang on." Then she hung up, mind already racing a hundred miles a minute. "KAILA!" she yelled.

"WHAT?!" came the impatient reply.

"We're gonna have to break some speed limits," Callie called and heard rushed footsteps heading toward her.

"One stop yelling or you're going to get me evicted and two where the hell are we going?" Kaila asked, emerging fully dress around the corner.

"Ok," Callie said impatiently. "I'll stop yelling if we leave now."

"And where are we going in such a hurry?"

"Rockford to save the Winchesters," Callie said impatiently.

"Fine," Kaila mumbled. "Let me get my keys." Callie breathed out a sigh of relief and began shoving on her shoes. The ride to Rockford was supposed to take an hour. Kaila broke the speed limit without getting caught and somehow made it there in thirty minutes. Then came the next set of problems. None of the doors would open and the windows were bared. After they tried the last one Kaila let out a shriek of frustration. "Why won't any of these stupid doors _open_?"

Callie was about to answer when a little voice called, "Hello? Can anyone hear us?"

"Kat?" Callie asked, stepping closer to the door.

"Yeah," the girl replied. "The doors are all sealed."

"Ok," Callie said, taking a deep breath. "Do you have a gun?"

"Yeah, with rock salt in it," came the reply.

"Then on the count of three I want you to shoot the door," Callie said, motioning for Kaila to be ready to do the same and stepping a couple paces back. "One. Two. _Three!_" There was a bang as two rounds of rock salt hit the door on either side and an ear piercing shrieking noise as Callie lunged forward and, using all of her strength, ripping the door open. A skinny blonde haired girl with a slightly taller dark haired boy.

"Thanks," the girl said and Callie recognized Kat's voice. "I assume you're Callie."

"Yeah," Callie said, stepping into the asylum with Kaila right on her heels.

"They went to the basement," Kat said, eyes wide. "Sam said Dean called him but Dean showed up and said it wasn't really him and went after Sam." Callie and Kaila both swore, words intermingling to make mush as the heading off to find the basement.

Dean lay sprawled on the floor, gasping for breath as he stared up at his possessed brother. "Sam," he managed to choke out but Sam just stared at him coldly. "We gotta burn Ellicott's bones and all this will be over. You'll be back to normal."

That was when Sam smiled a cold little smile. One that wasn't his little brother at all. "I am normal," he said icily. "I'm just telling the truth for the first time. I mean, why are we even here? 'Cause you're following Dad's orders like a good little soldier? Because you always do what he says without question? Are you that desperate for his approval?"

"This isn't you talking?" Dean said tightly, hoping he was right and his brother hadn't snapped.

"That's the difference between you and me," Sam continued as if he hadn't heard his brother. "I have a mind of my own. I'm not pathetic like you."

"So what are you gonna do?" Dean asked sharply, pulling out his gun, and covertly removing the bullets. "Are you gonna kill me?"

"You know what," Sam continued one, still ignoring Dean. "I am sick of doing what you tell me to do. We're no closer to finding Dad today than we were six months ago."

"Well then," Dean said slowly. "Let me make it easier for you." He held out the gun and for a moment he saw a flash of his real brother before the ghost took over and snatched the gun, looking it over. "Real bullets are gonna work a hell of a lot better than rock salt." There was another hesitatio before his possessed brother removed the safety and aimed the gun at his face. That was when all hell broke loose.

A blonde haired blur crashed into Sam, slamming him to the floor, and a lightly tanned hand dropped into his view. "Dios mio," a girl snapped when he didn't move. "Are you going to keep gaping like an idiot or are we going to burn the body?" Dean shook his head lightly to clear it and scrambled to his feet without the newcomer's help, heading for a medicine cabinet. He was reaching for the handle when he heard Sam cry out.

He spun around to see Callie gently shifting an unconscious Sam into a more comfortable position, muttering obscenities under her breath. Then she glanced up and her eyes widened. "_Dean look out!_" He turned again in time for a possessed gurney to slam into him, knocking him to the floor. It reversed direction then and flew at the other girl who jumped and actually landed on it, hanging on for dear life as it jerked to a stop. That was, predictably, when Dr. Ellicott decided to show up three inches from Dean's face.

He reeled back, try to reach the salt or the kerosene or the lighter or anything really that could get rid of the gruesome sight before him. "Don't be afraid," Dr. Ellicott crooned with a crazed smile that would have had Dean swearing had he not been completely out of air from his crash to the cement floor. "I'm going to help you. I'm going to make you feel all bett-" The doctor cut off in a horrifying shriek as he began to vanish and Dean turned his head slightly to see the Hispanic girl standing in front of a burning body, Dean's supplies scattered around her on the floor.

He sat up with a groan, finally feeling air come into his lungs, and turned his head a little more to see Sam stirring. Then Callie was in his arms, heading buried against his shoulder as she clung to him. "I thought-" she mumbled.

"Shh," Dean said, cutting her off. "I'm fine, you're fine, we're all okay." She tilted her head to glance at him and Dean was startled to see that she was crying. "I'm sorry," he whispered to her. "For what I said earlier. I didn't mean any of it."

"I know," she said softly, leaning closer, and then they were kissing, almost desperately. They pulled back for a moment to catch their breath and she whispered, "Don't _ever_ do that again."

"I promise," Dean reassured her before leaning forward to kiss her again. They pulled apart once more when the Hispanic girl cleared her throat, catching their attention. Dean grinned and pulled a flushing Callie up with him.

"I take it you're staying with 'em again," the girl said and Callie nodded. "Luck then Colton," she continued. "I'll call you when we find Arden." Then she turned and headed for the door.

"See you Kaila," Callie called after her.

Dean turned to Sam then and asked, "You're not going to try and kill me are you?"

"No," Sam responded, slowly standing up.

"Good," Dean said with a slim grin that said all was forgiven. "Because that would be awkward." Sam managed a weak smile, still looking upset, and Callie elbowed him in the ribs before snatching up the supplies and heading for the door. Kat and Gavin were waiting for them upstairs. Kat's face lit up in a big relieved smile when she saw them.

"Thanks guys," she informed Sam and Dean before turning to Callie. "I'm glad you got there on time."

"So am I," Callie said, hesitating a moment before continuing. "Look Kat, if you ever get in this kind of trouble again call me or Sparrow. We'll send someone or show up ourselves, okay?"

"I promise," Kat said, coming over and hugging Callie. "Come on Gavin, let's go."

"Ok," Gavin said, throwing an arm over Kat's shoulder. "Thanks guys." Then he turned and led Kat toward the waiting car as the sun began to rise. Dean noticed that Callie's two bags were already next to the Impala and there was no sign of whatever transportation she and Kaila had used to get to Rockford so quickly.

"Hey Dean?" he heard Sam say as Callie dumped her bags in the Impala. "I'm sorry man. I said some awful things back there."

"You remember all that?" Dean asked curiosity getting the better of him.

"Yeah," Sam replied. It's like I couldn't control any of it but I didn't mean it."

"I know," Dean said, meeting Sam's eyes. "It's over with a forgotten, right?"

"Right," Sam said with a relieved smile.

"Let's go," Dean said with a grin then, slipping in the driver's seat.


End file.
